Prophetic Demons
by Shadow Hylian
Summary: The Rift has been closed, but the portal's radiation is infecting the Hero, changing him. I was my fault he was hurt and now I know what I must do. What I should have done from the beginning. Turn my heart to steel. Shink.
1. Suspicions and Encouragement

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: I have been ordered by the Princess Zelda to accompany the Hero into northern Hylia as he investigates rumours of a gateway to the Sacred Realm that have said to have appeared. But why do I get the impression that this is a set-up? Shink Yaoi.

Shadow Hylian: Firstly I'd like to point out that Sheik is not Zelda in this fic. He is his own person. Also, this is a Yaoi fic, so if you don't like it, then turn away now.

The first chapter has been in a state of half-completion for the past three months or so, and the idea for the fic had been swirling around in my head for a while. And on another note, readers of Stolen Glances may be interested to know that I am now uploading fan art from the story onto my deviant art account.

Anyway, here's the first chapter. Enjoy!

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Prophetic Demons

Chapter 1: Suspicions and Encouragement

People say that Sheik is anti-social. But, Sheik, as he walked down the pathway from the Castle, felt that this was an inaccurate description of his character. It is just that he feels no need to exchange idle chit-chat with the passing strangers that he meets. It was an old Sheikah habit of his; if one was silent, then he is more difficult to notice.

Now, however, he found himself walking down the pathway into the bustling Castle Town in search of the Hero of Time. Sheik had been summoned by the Princess Zelda and, apparently, it was imperative that the Hero was also present at this meeting.

Finding the Hero, however, was a different matter. In the seven years that had passed since the Princess had returned the Hero to his childhood, Sheik had only caught glimpses of him once or twice as he carried out the Princess' orders. Sometimes, Sheik passed him in the hallways of the Castle on his way to see the Princess and he had spotted the Hero crossing Hyrule Field a few times as the Sheikah hid in the shadows while on reconnaissance duty.

Sheik grumbled as he wandered thought the market, hating the fact that he was in plain sight of everyone. He felt out of place in the busy square; a Sheikah was not meant to be seen. Pausing for a moment, he decided that the best way of finding the Hero was to go into the places that he was likely to visit.

After venturing into the Bazaar, the Bombchu Bowling Alley, the Happy Mask Shop and the Treasure Chest House, Sheik noiselessly opened the door of the Shooting Gallery and saw the green-hatted Hero playing the Shooting Game with a look of pained concentration on his face. The Hero had pulled back the bowstring and arrow in anticipation of the target appearing and didn't seem to notice that Sheik had walked in.

"Ahem." Sheik cleared his throat, signalling his presence to the Hero, who missed the target he was aiming for. Link cursed under his breath and turned round to see who had distracted him.

"Sheik?" Link spoke, surprised that the masked figure had approached him and stowed his bow away. Link looked as though he was going to question why Sheik had appeared before him so unexpectedly, but the Sheikah spoke before him.

"The Princess Zelda has summoned me, Hero, and she requests that you will also be present." Sheik spoke tersely, "We have to head back to the Castle as soon as I had found you. Come, Hero. The Princess is waiting for our return." he explained and exited the Shooting Gallery without another word and without waiting for the Hero.

* * *

(Sheik's P.O.V) 

The Hero and I walked into Hyrule Castle in silence, where Princess Zelda was found sitting in the Courtyard as usual. She smiled warmly at us and stood up to address the Hero and myself as we approached her.

"Hero of Time." she spoke fondly, "I trust that you're adventuring went well?" she asked in a falsely sweet, simpering voice, ignoring me like I was part of the scenery.

"Yes, your Highness." Link replied politely, "But why exactly do I need to be here?" he asked.

"Because what I will be discussing with Sheik concerns you." she said. I bristled at that statement; the Hero had no right to listen in on his business.

"Sheik." Zelda called, acknowledging my presence for the first time. "I have a new assignment for you. Your assignment is to go on a reconnaissance mission to the northern regions of Hylia with the Hero of Time to investigate the occurrences that are reported to be happening.

Why did I get the feeling that this was a set-up? I glared at the Princess, who was looking at the Hero and I with an encouraging expression on her face. The Hero merely blinked and, judging by his bemused expression and the way he was looking between the Princess and myself, he was also unaware of this new mission. Somewhere in my consciousness, I had the shrewd impression that the Princess Zelda was trying to force the Hero and I together.

Great., this was just what I needed. I knew that I should have changed the wording of the warp song soliloquies. The Princess Zelda, it would appear, had gotten the wrong idea about my relationship with the Hero. Oh, Nayru, it was the harp, wasn't it? And how could I go around saying things like "Young love will become deep affection" and "It is a feeling in the heart that grows stronger over time" without people getting the wrong idea?

The Hero and I were acquaintances, nothing more, so the idea of our relationship being anything other than platonic…well, it was ridiculous. Not that I disliked the Hero; it's just that being a Sheikah makes it difficult to form bonds, and the Hero and I are both so aloof and enigmatic that it was almost a miracle that we had become friends in the first place.

I still stared bluntly at the smiling Princess Zelda, who did not seem to notice that I was not overly keen on this new assignment.

"I am afraid that I do not understand what you mean, Princess." I spoke tersely, "It is not my duty to go on reconnaissance missions."

"That may be true, Sheik, but I've heard rumours in the North of Hylia that speak of a pathway to the Sacred Realm. There have also been rumours of a self-writing book of prophecies in Holodrum, which I think may be the Book of Mudora that has been missing from Hyrule for centuries.'

'I am sending the Hero of Time to inquire about these reports before the people become aware of such a portal and begin to quarrel amongst themselves like in the Fierce Wars."

"That has nothing to do with me." I stated.

"However, it is likely that there will be others following these rumours, so stealth is required. That is why I have assigned you to this mission." Zelda spoke, "You will need to aid Link in this quest so that you can reach Northern Hylia safely and without raising suspicion."

"The Hero can look after himself." I spoke icily, "He does not need anyone to watch over him."

"I am aware that Link is capable of handling this task alone, Sheik. However, he does have the tendency to charge into the situation without considering the dangers, which is the reason why I you are accompanying the Hero." Princess Zelda spoke. "You must retrieve the Book of Mudora and seal the Time Rift, closing off any possible access to the Sacred Realm. You shall prepare your equipment and supplies for this mission and will depart in two days time."

"Yes, your Highness." the Hero and I spoke.

"May the Goddesses aid you in your journey. Good Luck."

"Thank you, your Highness." Link bowed respectfully and exited the Courtyard, but I stayed where I was, determined to find out what the Princess was planning. I raised my eyebrows and folded my arms, deliberately fixing the Princess with an un-amused stare.

"Is there something the matter, Sheik?" the Princess Zelda asked innocently.

"Do not play games, Highness. You know perfectly well that I do not need to accompany the Hero on this mission. What are you planning?" I asked somewhat sharply.

"I know that you do not need to go on this quest. I just thought that, you know, you might like to join him on his journey, that's all." Zelda spoke, believing that she had successfully evaded the question.

I was not convinced.

-------

Princess Zelda watched the Sheikah march huffily out of the Courtyard with a slight smile flitting over her features. She knew that Sheik would be angry, resentful even, by being put into a situation that he was not wholly overjoyed at. Well, he would just have to deal with it, that's all. It was obvious to her that Sheik, with his truth-seeing eyes, could not see what was plain for everyone else to see. She had just…given him a little encouragement.

Although he would never admit it, The Princess Zelda was sure that Sheik would appreciate her...interference...one day.

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Shadow Hylian: As always, I really appreciate feedback, so review please. 


	2. Thoughts and Death Wishes

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything. 

Summary: I have been ordered by the Princess Zelda to accompany the Hero into northern Hylia as he investigates rumours of a gateway to the Sacred Realm that have said to have appeared. But why do I get the impression that this is a set-up? Shink Yaoi.

Shadow Hylian: Thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter.

Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

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Chapter 2: Thoughts and Death Wishes 

I awakened before dawn on the day of our departure, uneasy and slightly shaken by the prospect of knowing that I was unable to control the situation that the Princess Zelda was throwing me into.

I couldn't shake off the feeling of being trapped, overwhelmed and it felt like I was being smothered because there was nothing that I could say that would change Zelda's mindset.

In an effort to distract myself from pondering the thought any further, I went to the castle's training grounds to practice my Sheikah arts, but the feeling that the princess was plotting something still lingered in the back of my mind.

* * *

I walked down the hallway to the Royal Chambers where Princess Zelda was waiting to brief the Hero and I again before we set out on our quest. As I opened the doorway into the chambers, I saw that the Hero had already arrived and he turned towards me as I entered the room and stood before the princess, waiting for her to address us.

"Sheik." she spoke to me, inclining her head slightly, "Hero of Time." she said, turning to Link." As I have already specified; you are to locate the Time Rift and close it, and I wish for you to follow up the rumours on the Book of Mudora and retrieve it." she stated, "Before you set out on your journey, it is my wish that you carry this device with you." the princess spoke, holding a small greenish stone in her gloved palm, a length of leather string tied around it which ended in a loop. "It is a Gossip Stone. You can use it to communicate with me since this stone is one of a pair." she said, stepping towards the Hero and gently slipping the Gossip Stone around his neck. I felt a slight twinge of dislike towards Zelda as she rested her gloved palm against the Hero's chest and the Hero smiled down at her warmly, but the moment passed.

"Well then, I wish you well on your journey." Princess Zelda spoke fondly, "May the Goddesses speed your return."

-------

"So." the Hero spoke, "Should we look for the Time Rift or the Book of Mudora first?" he asked as we walked down into the Castle stables.

"We shall go to Holodrum first since it is the nearest from Hyrule. The Book of Mudora is also a useful item it itself as there is a chance that the book may lead us to the location of the Time Rift."

"Oh, okay." the Hero spoke weakly. I had the impression that he did not know how to respond to that. We entered the stone building and approached the horses that had already been saddled up for our journey. Epona greeting the Hero with an impatient shove, tossing her head into his arm. It seemed that the mare did not like to be contained as she whinnied restlessly and tossed her head. The grey horse that I would be riding seemed to have a much calmer nature and did not appear uneasy as I approached the steed and gently patted its neck.

"If we travel on horseback, then we should reach Holodrum in around four days, give or take a day or so if we are held up by unforeseen circumstances." I spoke, securing my supplies onto the horse's pack. Placing my left foot in the stirrup, I pulled myself up, swung my right leg over in one swift motion and settled comfortably in the saddle.

"What sort of unforeseen circumstances?" the Hero asked also loading his supplies onto his mare, then mounting Epona.

"The Princess did warn us that there are most likely to be others searching for the Time Rift. After all, the lure of reaching the Sacred Realm where the essence of the Goddesses rests is a powerful one." I spoke, gently encouraging my horse into a steady walk, the Hero mimicked this motion and we rode out of the large arched doorway, down the dirt path and through a bustling Castle Town before reaching the vast expanse of Hyrule Field.

* * *

(A few hours later)

We rode in silence, the horses' hoof steps making the only sound in the remarkably quiet night. Darkness was the best concealment that we could hope for as we journeyed across Hyrule Field towards the dangerous Gerudo territory that lead towards the desert.

The night sky was streaked with indigo and the stars shone out brightly, a gentle breeze flowing across the rich grasslands of the plain. At any other time, silence on such a beautiful night would be natural, meaningless; but the silence between the Hero and myself was tense. I could tell by his body language that he was on edge and the atmosphere between us, it wasn't awkward as such, just...uncomfortable, as though he did not know what to say.

I didn't blame him; after all, most of the time we met I only told him what he needed to know before disappearing. I wouldn't blame him if he was tense or didn't trust me.

I wouldn't blame him if he hated me. Not after our "last meeting" in the Temple of Time. Most of the time, the Hero is away adventuring and I hadn't had the chance to explain what had happened. He didn't know the whole truth, so I expected him to resent me, to think of me as a liar and a cheat.

I watched the Hero's silhouette as he rode a few feet in front of me and a lump lodged in my throat. Was that the reason that the atmosphere was so strained between us? We hadn't spoken properly since I last saw him before he entered the Shadow Temple and I had only caught a few stolen glimpses of him over the last four years. Had he extinguished our friendship, snuffed it out like a candle over that time?

I suppose it is to be expected, but...I would be lying if I said that I did not feel regretful about it.

-------

I was brought out of my thoughts as the horses whinnied restlessly, becoming uneasy as the grassy plains subsided into hard cracked earth as we began to move into Gerudo Valley. I halted my steed, slowly pulling back the reins until the horse stopped and the Hero mimicked this movement, stopping Epona and turning round to look at me questioningly.

"Why have you stopped? We are nowhere near the desert yet."

"That may be true, Hero, but we have to leave the horses here." I spoke, "The desert is far too treacherous, even at night, for us to cross the Haunted Wasteland on horseback." I said and dismounted my horse,

"What about navigation? How will we find our way across the haunted Wasteland? I no longer have the Seeing Lens." Link spoke, also dismounting and unloading our supplies before giving the horses a gentle nudge in the direction that they had came from and the horses walked back into the vast Hyrule Field.

"We will not require the Seeing Lens, Hero." I spoke , "I do not need magically enhanced items to see the truth."

"Oh, I forgot about that." Link mused, "And don't call me Hero all the time. My name's Link, so use it."

"Yes, Hero." I replied and I could tell that Link was rolling his eyes at me.

As we reached the deep gorge in the valley, we saw that the wooden bridge was broken and, as we stepped up to the edge of the cliff face, we saw the sheer drop that led to the river flowing below and looked across to the ledge on the other side.

There was at least a four metre gap between the two surfaces, which meant that it was impossible to jump and the idea of trying to jump the distance when there was a fifty foot drop below was not exactly rational.

I carried a device which would enable me to cross the gap, and if the Hero still had the Hookshot then we would be able to cross to the other side.

"Farore, that's a long drop..." the Hero said, peering over the edge of the abyss and I noticed that his complexion paled somewhat. I fixed him with a piercing glare, looking pointedly from him to the other side of the ledge. "No, you must be joking. No way; do you think I have a death wish or something?" Link asked incredulously. In response, I pulled out a long metal chain and flexed it, aiming towards the wooden overhead rope support structure and the chain coiled around the beam. I stepped back a few paces to get the momentum that I needed. Then I swung.

The weight of the chain held and I swung in a graceful arc, my body weight contributing to the momentum as I soared to the opposite ledge of the valley and landed gently on the other side, removing the chain from its hold as I waited for the Hero to follow.

Link took out the Hookshot from his equipment pouch and aimed the device at the wooden support structure. As the Hookshot was fired, the sharp head of the chain buried into the wooden beam and the Hero gave it a slight pull to check that it was secure before clicking the button to retract the chain and he was pulled over to where I was standing as the chain was retracted towards the hook on the end.

"We are not coming back this way. I am not crossing that chasm again." Link growled, detaching the hook of the device from the wood and putting the Hookshot away again.

"Do not be unreasonable, Hero."

"Unreasonable?" Link asked incredulously. "Unreasonable?!"

"Shhh." I hissed, cutting through what I was sure would turn out to be a lengthy dispute. We did not have time to argue and raising unnecessary suspicion would not be a wise idea. I slowly crept down the pathway surrounded by the high sides of the valley which led to the Gerudo Fortress.

As we reached the entrance to the Gerudo Fortress, we crept down the dirt path as far as we could go without being seen. However, the whole Fortress was being patrolled by the all-female desert race which made it difficult for us to reach the gate that led into the haunted Wasteland.

"Sheik." the Hero whispered over my shoulder, "I know how we can get past the guards."

"How?" I whispered back.

"This." he spoke, holding up a square piece of parchment with the Gerudo seal on it. "It's a Membership Card. It lets me get free access to the Fortress at any time." he explained. I wanted to ask how he got it in the first place, but stopped myself. "Here, let me past. We'll need to go directly towards the Gerudo on patrol at the gate so that she can open it for us."

"Are you sure that's wise, Hero?" I asked, but Link had already started walking towards the Gerudo and I hastily followed him.

As the Hero approached the guard, the Gerudo woman caught sight of him and advanced upon us with her spear held aloft, the sharp end pointing directly towards us.

Before the Gerudo could start calling the guards, he held up the Membership Card. "I've got permission to pass. Look. We want to cross the desert." he said, and the woman eyed the card suspiciously before lowering her weapon.

"I'll open the gate for you." she spoke and quickly climbed the ladder to activate the mechanism to raise the gate. "But be careful when crossing the Haunted Wasteland. There's a sandstorm coming in."

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Shadow Hylian: As always, I really appreciate feedback, so review please. 


	3. Of Storms and Turmoil

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: I have been ordered by the Princess Zelda to accompany the Hero into northern Hylia as he investigates rumours of a gateway to the Sacred Realm that have said to have appeared. But why do I get the impression that this is a set-up? Shink Yaoi.

Shadow Hylian: Again, thank you to all who review the previous chapter. This chapter also has the first blink-and-you'll-miss-it Shink moment of the fic, so feedback on this would be appreciated.

Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

"Speech"

Written Text

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Chapter 3: Of Storms and Turmoil

We stepped through the gate and saw the tall wooden flagpoles, an orange piece of fabric tied around the top like a flag which would guide the Hero and I across the savage haunted Wasteland.

I noticed a wooden signpost where the desert's sands begun, the text faded away by the sandstorms.

"Look, Hero." I spoke, pointing to the signpost which read:

Haunted Wasteland

If you chase a mirage, the desert will swallow you. Only one path is true.

"Well, that's a comforting thought." the Hero spoke sarcastically and we set off across the sands into the heart of the wasteland.

* * *

The winds had picked up, the sand being swept callously into our faces as we travelled across the wasteland, the force of the grains of sand stinging like needles against our exposed skin.

I cast a worried glance at the Hero as he grimaced in pain, the sandstorm stinging his eyes. He wavered to the side, stumbling as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands, trying to stop the sand from irritating them.

The sandstorm was not dissipating, it was growing stronger, gaining momentum as we progressed further into the desert. He wouldn't last long if we continued like this.

"Hero." I called out to him and he turned towards me, still shielding his eyes. I moved closer to him, standing with my back against the wind, my body acting as a shield as I quickly untied the bandaged hat that I wore and unravelled it.

"Sheik, what are you doing?" the Hero asked.

"The sand is blinding you vision, you need to protect your eyes, here." I spoke and threw the length of fabric around his neck a few times, pulling up the loose material to the bridge of his nose, making a cowl out of the cloth.

"Thank you." he said gratefully and pulled the cowl up a bit further. I stepped away from him, suddenly realising how close I was standing next to him, feeling more exposed than usual as my short tufty hair whipped about freely in the wind.

"Come on, Hero. There should be a resting place not too far from here that we can sit out the storm in." I spoke, walking in front of the Hero, leading the way through the sandstorm.

* * *

We soon reached the stone building that marked the halfway point of the Haunted Wasteland and gratefully took shelter in the underground bunker from the violent winds. We descended the iron ladder into the square room, I lit the torches using the Din's Fire charm, we unloaded our equipment and settled down on the stone floor to wait out the storm.

-------

I could not settle in this place. The wind still howled in the gaps between the brickwork and sand blew in from the open doorway. The Hero seemed to have fallen asleep and was sitting on the opposite side of the room with his head bowed.

I got to my feet, uneasy, and paced the square room unconsciously a few times. I decided to check whether the sandstorm was weakening, I climbed the ladder and peered out into the sandstorm that was beginning to lessen. I glanced at the sky and judging by the moon's position in the sky, we only had a few hours at most until dawn. We would have to leave now if we were going to make it to the other side of the desert before the high, mid-day sun scorched the ground.

I retreated back into the building and approached the Hero, kneeling down in front of him and gently placing a hand on his shoulder to wake him.

"Hero, it is time to get moving." I spoke softly so as not to startle him, giving the Hero a light shake to try and wake him, but he merely groaned and did not wake. "Hero." I called again and lowered my head, lifting his chin with my other hand to see whether he was still sleeping or if he was acting it.

The Hero mumbled a bit and slowly opened his heavy eyes, his half-mast gaze locking onto mine. He blinked twice before I realised that my nose was only inches from his and, although I my cowl was still covering my face, the way I was holding onto his chin and tilting my head forward looked as though I was about to kiss him. For a moment, I could not move, but as the Hero blinked again, I came back to my senses and I quickly sprung away from him, an embarrassed blush creeping up my hidden face.

"Sheik?" the Hero spoke, rubbing his eyes and getting to his feet. "What's wrong." he asked, but I did not turn back to face him and I was already halfway out of the door before I answered him.

"We must get moving before the sun rises, Hero." I spoke and strode out into the desert storm.

* * *

Damn. He'd done it again. The stoic and unshakable Sheikah had completely humiliated himself yet again. First the Warp Song soliloquies sounded as though he was coming on to the Hero, then Link had woken to find himself almost nose-to-nose with him. If it wasn't for the cowl, Sheik was sure that the Hero would have thought that he was about to kiss him.

His reputation as an impassive Sheikah warrior was seeming to be collapsing around him. Sheik groaned. How, in the name of Nayru, was he going to explain this? He doubted the 'I was just checking to see if you were awake' excuse was a plausible one.

-------

The Hero followed the haughty and indignant Sheikah as he marched through the receding sands across the desert. The Hero was wondering what Sheik's problem was as, judging by the Sheikah's rigid shoulders and determined stride, he was either very angry or very embarrassed about something. Link wasn't entirely sure which.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he'd woken to find the other man crouching over him. But that didn't really explain why the Sheikah would avoid him. Unless it was something that he'd done?

No, he thought. The Hero was sure that he hadn't done anything that would have offended Sheik. They'd hardly spoken a word on the journey except to exchange directions and concerns about the weather conditions.

He'd sat through an awkward silence that had lasted more than three hours when they had ridden towards the desert, but the Hero did not think that this was unusual; Sheik did not seem hostile in his demeanour, merely passive, so Link had bared the tense atmosphere, dismissing it as another trait of the elusive Sheikah.

However, this avoiding the situation thing of Sheik's was starting to become a habit.

The Hero wondered why the Princess Zelda had paired the both of them together on this mission when, as Sheik had not hesitated on pointing out, he was perfectly capable of completing the mission on his own.

Now that he thought about it, there was something far too knowing about the smile that the Princess had flashed them as she told them about their mission, but she couldn't...know, could she?

Damn. He'd been too busy feeling indignant about Sheik and Zelda discussing him as though he wasn't there to realise that the Princess was pulling a fast one on him. If he hadn't been pre-occupied, he would have realised that the Princess Zelda was intentionally putting them on this mission together.

Was that the reason Sheik seemed distant? Had he realised that the Princess was wasting his time by sending him on a mission that he wasn't needed on?

Maybe... It wasn't always easy to tell with Sheik.

"Hero." the said Sheikah called back to him, bringing Link out of his thoughts. "We have almost reached the border of Holodrum. We must make haste before another storm comes our way." he spoke and the Hero hurried to where the Sheikah stood, looking over the sweeping sand dunes where they could faintly see the small merchant town on the horizon.

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Shadow Hylian: Well, that another chapter done. I really liked writing the part when Sheik gives Link a makeshift cowl out of his hat and I'm thinking that I'll draw a piece of fan art for this part.

Anyway, as usual, I really appreciate feedback, so review please.


	4. Fortunes and Prophecies

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the Property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: I have been ordered by the Princess Zelda to accompany the Hero into northern Hylia as he investigates rumours of a gateway to the Sacred Realm that have said to have appeared. But why do I get the impression that this is a set-up? Shink Yaoi.

Shadow Hylian: Thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter.

/"Gossip Stone Speech."/

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Chapter 4: Fortunes and Prophecies

We arrived in Holon Town, the main merchant city of Holodrum as the sun scorched overhead in the midday sun. The town, we saw, consisted of rough stone dwellings and wooden stalls with cotton canopies where the traders bartered their wares and the locals of the town meandered between stalls in the hope of finding some scant luxury from far off lands.

As we walked through the market, into the very heart of the town, we could see the corroded brickwork that was the result of the savage sandstorms and baking heat of the Haunted Wasteland. There were also deposits of sand piled around the dwellings as the wind blew into the desert town, bringing grains of sand on the wind.

Holodrum is where the Book of Mudora was said to have been last seen, but looking around this quaint town, I had my doubts as to whether the legendary artefact was still lost in this land. Holon gave no indication that there was such a treasure hidden within it. There was also the problem of who to ask about the Book of Mudora ; I was sure that none of the local people would know of such an artefact and it would be unwise to alert people of our mission.

"Hero." I spoke, turning to Link.

"I don't think that we should speak o the people here about the book." Link spoke, voicing the opinion that I was about to say, "Should we ask about any old temples or something that might give us an idea of where to find it?" he asked. "And I've already told you not to call me 'Hero'; it's grating on my nerves." he complained. I smirked at that, the Legendary Hero, not wanting to be known as the Hero.

We were interrupted by a low humming noise and a bright light glowing from the necklace that the Princess had given the Hero. As he pulled out the necklace, we noticed that the Gossip Stone was glowing a greenish hue and I could hear the faint voice of the Princess Zelda echoing through it.

/"No, Impa. I absolutely refuse and that is that. I have more important things to attend to than listen to politics."/

/"But, Highness."/

"Zelda?" Link asked, a bit taken aback by the fact that they were able to have a conversation with the Princess from such a distance.

"What? Link?" she asked distractedly. "Hello, how are you faring on your adventure?"

"Fine, except we don't know who to ask about the Book of Mudora." Link explained. "We don't think it's a good idea to inform the people here of a book that tells prophecies; it'll attract too much attention."

"There must be some kind of prophet or something in Holon. Ask them about the Book; you may get an idea of where to go next." the Princess Zelda replied. "Good Luck." she said, before the light in the Gossip Stone dimmed as the connection was broken.

* * *

As we entered the fortune-teller's tent, we saw the hooded Subrosian sitting behind a silken covered table, a crystal orb placed between two candles on the table top.

I was seriously contemplating Zelda's competence in sending us to a psychic to find the Book of Mudora. The whole idea was completely nonsensical and cliched that I had a great difficulty in trying to avoid rolling my eyes at the situation.

The Subrosian's emerald green hood was almost covering his eyes, leaving only pinpricks of light from the figure's dark eyes, giving the impression of deceit and suspicion.

"Eh he he he...What have we here? One of the Shadow Folk? And a Hylian?" the figure spoke. "You're very far from home, travellers...Hmm...You may have an interesting destiny...Would you care to have your fortune told?" the Subrosian asked.

"We haven't come for a fortune, we're here to ask about-"

"Tell us our fortune, please." I cut in quickly. It was a much wiser idea for us to pay the fortune-teller for information rather than just ask outright. Besides, I would know if the Subrosian was lying to us.

The fortune-teller held out his hands over the crystal ball, hovering them over the orb in sweeping motions. "An underground passageway...ruins long forgotten...the Book of Prophecies that you seek...The omnipotent tome that will unlock memories...a lost past, aiding your journey...and illuminating the path you must take" the figure spoke mysteriously. "Now I will take thirty rupees. I wish you good health, yee hah ha hah..." the figure cackled and as I handed over the money, I had the distinct impression that we'd just been conned.

* * *

"Well that was a complete waste of time." the Hero grumbled as we stepped out of the fortune-teller's tent.

"Actually, Hero, there was some truth in it." I spoke. "From what the Subrosian said, we can gather that the Book of Mudora is hidden in 'ruins long forgotten' and to find it we need to find an 'underground passageway'."

"What about the 'A lost past' part? And how will a lost past aid our journey and illuminate our path?"

"Well...it is a bit vague, and I sensed that the Subrosian wasn't exactly lying but wasn't telling us the whole truth either."

"So we have to find an underground passageway that leads to ruins?" the Hero asked.

"Yes, Hero. I think that it is safe to assume that we will have to journey through Subrosia to get to the Book of Mudora." I stated. "Although I think that it is best if we travel through Subrosia quickly; it is not the most pleasant of places to venture through.

* * *

Describing Subrosia as "not pleasant" was an understatement, we discovered as we walked into the subterranean dweller's caverns. The caverns were pitch black to the point that it was almost impossible to see anything except the Subrosian's glinting eyes narrowed in suspicion, watching our every move. This was one of the reasons that I thought it best to avoid lingering in this place for longer than necessary. The Subrosians were...well, to put it lightly, they were paranoid about strangers being in their domain. It was quite unnerving knowing that you were travelling through a pitch black tunnel, completely blind to your surroundings in...unwelcome company.

"Hero, take out the Gossip Stone." I instructed.

"What for?" he asked, accidentally hitting his head off of the low hanging cavern ceiling and I heard him curse at this.

"Because it is almost impossible to see in this darkness." I stated the obvious.

"I thought you could see the truth, can't you see in the dark?" I rolled my eyes at the Hero's comment.

"I can see the truth, but I still find it a bit difficult to find my way in the dark." I spoke. "Activate the Gossip Stone, it'll give us enough light to be able to see where we are going."

"Alright." the Hero spoke, clenching the Gossip Stone in his left palm and a greenish light glowed from the object.

/"Link?"/ Zelda echoed through the stone. /"What is it now?"/ she asked impatiently.

"Nothing, we just need the light from the stone. " Link spoke, "Don't pay any attention to it." he said and we continued down the passageway with the Gossip Stone held aloft, using the stone's aura to guide us through the darkness.

* * *

I stopped quickly, not realising that I was about to walk straight into the Hero. As I crashed into his back, Link turned to face me, the light of the Gossip Stone illuminating his face as the Hero turned towards me. The Hero must have been daydreaming and I seemed to have knocked him out of his thoughts by crashing into him.

The Hero blinked, still watching me with an odd expression on his face as though he was steeling himself to say something before opening his mouth to speak.

"Sheik...there's been something I've been meaning to tell you..." Link spoke, his voice barely a whisper and he did not meet my eyes. In the darkness of the underground passageway, I could only see the outline of his features, the sparkle of his cerulean eyes and I knew I was blushing.

/"Are you still there?"/ Princess Zelda interrupted, her voice echoing through the Gossip Stone and both the Hero and I jolted, having forgotten that the stone was still active.

"Yes, still here, Princess." Link said, his voice holding barely concealed frustration and he forced a smile even though the princess could not see him.

I watched as the Hero paused for a moment, the Gossip Stone's aura fading as the device was de-activated and we were plunged into darkness.

"C'mon, let's go." the Hero grumbled as he continued down the passageway. "And watch your step, we don't have anything to guide us now."

I hung back for a moment, slightly unnerved by what I thought the Hero was about to say. For a moment, I thought that the Hero was going to tell me that he held feelings for me, but that idea was ridiculous. This was the first time that we had been in each others company since the Imprisoning War, and even then we only met a few times.

_'But that didn't stop you from becoming drawn to him, did it?' my conscience interjected. 'It didn't stop you from going to see him after he cleared the Water Temple, or from rushing to his side after he got knocked unconscious by the Shadow of the Well in Kakariko Village.' _

I was the Hero of Time's guide; I was just checking to see if he was injured, I reasoned, but a part of my consciousness told me that was not the true reason.

* * *

As we reached the ruined temple at the end of the Subrosian passageway, we stepped into the large ante-chamber, noticing the many broken columns and crumbling elaborate stonework. We ventured through the carved archway into the main chamber of the temple and in the centre of the room sat the Book of Prophecies that we had been searching for.

The Book of Mudora was resting on a stone plinth in the centre of the darkened chamber of the ruined temple. I think that I was half-expecting to see the book propped open with a shaft of light shining down onto it, but the book lay closed on the stone pillar looking completely non-magical in every aspect.

As we approached the plinth, I saw that the leather bound cover was an emerald green and a Triforce symbol; was emblazoned across the front of the cover. The Hero took the book from the pillar and opened it carefully as I moved closer to read the text. I could see that there was something odd about the book. The text of the Creation of Hyrule had not faded and worn away, even though the legend had been written over a thousand years ago; the ink was as fresh as though it had only just been written.

The Hero leafed through the book and I was sure that I knew what he was looking for. He stopped on the Legend of the Hero of time; his own legend. I wondered whether the hero was paranoid that some detail of his adventure were missed out or misinterpreted.

"Hey, it doesn't say anything about me almost getting my spleen ripped out by that Stalfos in the Forest Temple. Or the fact that I almost got drowned by my own shadow…" he complained. I smirked; it seems that I was right about that fact.

As I scanned through the Legend of the Hero, I noticed that there were a few passages that were inaccurate. To be exact, they had nothing to do with the Hero of Time at all; They were my thoughts from my meetings with the Hero.

I goggled at the text, having not realised what I was thinking at the time and completely mortified to learn that all my innermost thoughts that I hid behind a veil of indifference had been catalogued for anyone to see.

I tried and failed to try and tear out the page, but it wouldn't rip. I pulled on the page, desperately trying to remove the passages with my thoughts catalogued out of the book, but the page was stuck fast. Damn book. How was I supposed to know that it recorded my thoughts in the Legend of the Hero?

"Hey, what're you doing?!" Link asked incredulously, looking at me in the process of trying to tear the Book of Mudora apart.

"Nothing." I said automatically, clutching the Book of Prophecies to my chest defensively. I was absolutely determined not to allow him to read the book in case he came across those passages.

The Hero still looked suspicious, but seemed to dismiss it as he turned away.

I hesitated, knowing that the time was right to tell the Hero the truth about that last meeting in the Temple of Time, but I was unsure what to say. I decided to go for the nostalgia option, thinking that it might help the Hero to remember that meeting.

"Hero, before we continue I have things I wish to tell only to you." I spoke, seeing recognition flicker in those beautiful cerulean orbs and he opened his mouth as though he was about to speak. "Please listen." I almost begged, seeing his brow crease into a frown.

'I lied to you."

* * *

Shadow Hylian: As always, feedback is very much appreciated, so review please.


	5. Confrontation

* * *

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: I have been ordered by the Princess Zelda to accompany the Hero into northern Hylia as he investigates rumours of a gateway to the Sacred Realm that have said to have appeared. But why do I get the impression that this is a set-up? Shink Yaoi.

Shadow Hylian: Well, here's chapter 5. Sheik's being hostile and anti-social again in this chapter...

* * *

Chapter 5: Confrontation

"I lied to you." I spoke, my honest tone was detached, passive. the Hero opened his mouth to question this statement, but I continued. "It was not I who spoke to you in the Temple of Time after the last sage was awakened. Another was masquerading as me."

"You mean the fact that you were acting as Princess Zelda's 'alter-ego' so that she could evade the Evil King?"

"Not quite." I began. "I was indeed acting as the Princess' alter-ego. The Princess Zelda was taken into hiding in the shadows during your stasis and I was appointed as messenger to the Hero, to pass on the warp songs and the teachings that accompanied them. But the last time that I, myself, saw you was in Kakariko Village when the Shadow of the Well escaped and set the village on fire.'

'When the shadow creature attacked us, I was more strongly affected by the being's magic. Contrary to what people believe, Sheikah are more susceptible to magical interception than Hylians. I was poisoned by the shadow beast's aura, which left me unable to reach the desert in time to meet you." I explained.

"But...I've never heard of any of this. You were fine when you taught me the Shadow Temple's warp song." Link spoke, frowning slightly.

"Did you not think that there was anything strange about the fact that I arrived at the Desert Colossus much later than you did, when I usually arrived long before you reached the temples?" I questioned.

"I thought it had something to do with the objective of the temple. The stone tablets inside the Colossus spoke of the past and future. Of returning to the desert with the pure heart of a child...I thought that I had to figure that out before I could learn the warp song." the Hero mused.

"I was unable to reach the Spirit Temple in time, and so the Princess Zelda, whop had been sheltering in the shadows masqueraded as me to meet you in my place, and again in the Temple of Time." I paused for a moment. "But she felt that it was necessary to reveal herself to you, making you believe that I was naught but a disguise." I could not eliminate the bitter edge in my voice. I was resentful, angry that Zelda's own selfishness had destroyed the Hero's trust in me.

It was her fault that my existence was thrown into doubt. No, not just my existence, my entire life. The Princess Zelda's little revelation had convinced almost everyone that the mysterious Sheikah that aided the Hero on his quest was actually the Princess with a magically altered appearance. Not even Impa, the Sheikah elder of Kakariko who had known me since my childhood spoke up about my true self.

It suited everyone better for me to disappear back into the shadows.

"Wasn't that how it was supposed to go?" Link asked. "Rauru told me that I had to meet the 'one who is waiting for me' in the Temple of Time. Wasn't that the way it was supposed to happen?"

"No." I stated bluntly. "Incompetent though she may be in many fronts, I don't think that the Princess Zelda intended to be captured by the Evil King. I think that she just got a bit carried away and forgot to be cautious."

"Hey, there's no need to talk about the Princess like that. Everything sorted itself out okay in the end, didn't it?" the Hero spoke. I felt a slight twinge of dislike towards Link for defending Zelda after everything she had done.

"Did it?" I countered. "You tell me, O great Hero." I spoke sarcastically. Judging by the glare he shot me at those words, he understood what I was talking about.

"She made a mistake." the Hero spoke. I scoffed at that. The Princess Zelda's 'mistake' was to practically lead the Evil King to the gates of the Sacred Realm.

"And you forgive her for that? You forgive her for stealing seven years of your life?!" I questioned angrily.

"She returned those seven years when she sent me back to my past." Link explained. "And even if the Princess Zelda made the mistake of trying to control the Sacred Realm, I couldn't do anything about it. It was my fate to become the Hero of Time, even if I didn't want it. I couldn't escape my destiny..."

"She wanted to erase all knowledge of your adventure when she sent you back to your original time!" I screamed in frustration, feeling satisfaction in blaming Zelda for everything. "You were to return to a time when everything was fine, blissfully ignorant of all that happened during those lost seven years.'

'But I was able to convince her to let you keep your memories..."

__

In the hope that you would remember me...

* * *

(Flashback)

__

"Sheik, this is the only way that we can continue to watch over the Hero without raising suspicion." the Princess Zelda explained impatiently. "You are in on fit condition to travel to the Desert Colossus."

"Princess, I know you are anxious to meet the Hero, but you would be jeopardising the mission if you met the Hero in my place." I tried to convince her. "You do not have the correct training, even though you could use your magic to imitate me. Your emotions would give you away." I spoke, grimacing slightly at my wounds.

"Sheik there is no way that you will be able to recover in time." Zelda stated. "I will meet the Hero at the Spirit Temple in your place." she spoke firmly and I eyed the Princess' expression carefully before speaking.

"...All right." I sighed, defeated. "You remember the soliloquy that I'm supposed to tell the Hero, correct?"

"Of course." she remarked quickly. 'Past, present, future. the Master Sword is a ship in which you can sail upstream or downstream through time's river..."

"Good. Here, you'll need this." I spoke, tossing my lyre to princess Zelda, who caught it easily. "And remember not to hang around too long; the Hero seems pretty keen to find out who I am."

--

I ran through the desecrated Castle Town, cursing the fact that I was still too injured to teleport as I rushed to the Temple of Time, hoping that I reached the temple before the princess arrived.

I hurried up the marble steps, noticing that the large, ornately carved oaken doors to the temple were ajar. Had the Hero already arrived?

I crept closer, listening intently as I peered through the gap.

"-And awakened six Sages. And now you have a final challenge, a showdown with Ganondorf, the King of Evil." I heard the Princess Zelda's magically deepened voice speak; her voice holding too much emotion to be my own. As I squinted through the gap, I could see the Hero's green-hatted head.

The Princess had reached the temple before me...

"Before that...I have things I wish to tell only to you. Please listen..."

No. That wasn't the plan. She wasn't supposed to tell him anything!

I listened as she spoke of the lost legend of the Triforce, my anger growing with each word she spoke.

"And the other, who holds the Triforce of Wisdom...is the Seventh Sage who is destined to be the leader of them all." Zelda spoke and raised her right hand, her palm held towards the Hero displaying the crest of Wisdom.

No! What the hell was she doing?!

A blinding flash of light as the Princess discarded my image and reverted back to her true form. I saw the Hero gape at the Princess as though he was struggling to take in what had happened.

"I apologise for meeting you in secret, but it was necessary to evade the Evil King." She spoke and I had difficulty in controlling my anger, my fists curling inwards, nails cutting into my skin until my palms bled.

What the hell was she playing at?! She was effectively writing me out of the equation...

I wouldn't exist...

The Princess was encased in a magical prism and taken away, captured by the Evil King.

The Hero hurried towards the temple's doors where I was hidden and I could see the evident distress in his eyes. As the Hero passed through the doors, brushing ever so slightly against where I stood in the shadows, but he did not see me...

But he was close...close enough to touch, and in that moment I wanted to reach out towards him, to tell him that it was all lies. To tell him that I really existed.

But the moment passed before I could react...

* * *

"Sheik?" the Hero called. "You've been spacing out there for quite a while. Are you ok?" he asked.

"Come on, Hero. We've got to find the Time Rift." I stated impassively, walking away from where we stood.

"What is it with you?" the Hero asked, irritatedly. "Why do you keep avoiding the issue?"

"I am not discussing this." I stated stubbornly, striding past the Hero.

"I'm not finished talking to you yet." Link growled, seizing my right arm, gripping tightly above the elbow.

"Let me go." I demanded.

"Not until you've told me what this is really about." the Hero spoke, narrowing his eyes at me. "What is your problem with Princess Zelda?"

"Oh, you know, just the fact that she destroyed my entire life and everything I cared about!" I roared sarcastically. "Don't you realise why we were paired together on this mission?!" I shouted. "She pitied me! She was trying to make amends for destroying my life!'

'The only reason that she paired us on this mission was because she felt sorry for me!" I screamed, my eyes burning, the words tearing at my throat. "Get the hell off me!" I growled, wrenching free of the Hero's grip. I felt weak, as though my limbs were filled with lead. I wanted to rage and shout, but I felt drained and powerless.

"Hey, calm down..." the Hero spoke, holding onto my upper arms, trying to restrain me. I tried to pull away from him, roughly punching him in the chest as he tried to pull me close to him in an embrace. "Shhh." he consoled, and I slowly relaxed into his touch, allowing him to pull me into his embrace as my resolve crumbled.

I raised my eyes to his, seeing his gentle cerulean orbs soften as his eyes locked onto mine.

Moments passed.

I wanted to pull away, but the Hero held me tight and I couldn't move.

"Sheik-" he spoke.

A low whirring noise was heard, interrupting the Hero as the Gossip Stone around his neck lit up a bright jade green hue. The Hero frowned, an irritated expression passing over his features as the stone lit up and we stepped apart.

/"Link? Sheik? I was just wondering...have you found the Book of Mudora yet?"/ Princess Zelda's voice echoed through the stone.

I cursed silently at the Princess, wondering if this was going to become a regular habit of hers...

* * *

Shadow Hylian: Sheik doesn't really hate Zelda in this fic. It's just that he is resentful of her actions and Zelda is not going to be evil in this fic.

Well, as usual feedback is very much appreciated, so review please!


	6. Time Rift

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: I have been ordered by the Princess Zelda to accompany the Hero into northern Hylia as he investigates rumours of a gateway to the Sacred Realm that have said to have appeared. But why do I get the impression that this is a set-up? Shink Yaoi.

/"Gossip Stone Speech"/

Shadow Hylian: Again, thank you to my reviewers. Blame lack of inspiration for this very late update; I've been struggling with this chapter for weeks. Also, to the kind people who have alerted/favourited this story but haven't commented, it would be nice to get some kind of feedback on this fic.

Anyway, onto the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 6: Time Rift

"Yes, Princess." the Hero spoke dryly, "But, how in the name of Farore do you expect us to complete our mission if you keep pestering us?" he asked impatiently, his tone irritated.

/" I only asked…"/ Zelda stated. /" What's wrong? Did something happen?"/

Simultaneous blushes.

"No." the Hero shot quickly, his expression distracted as a faint blush crept across his face. I turned away, irritated by my fast growing list of screw-ups. What the hell was I doing? I wasn't supposed to allow myself to become attached to anyone, so why was I allowing myself to become involved with the Hero?

* * *

(At Hyrule Castle...)

"I think I might have interrupted something..." the Princess Zelda spoke lightly, trying to keep her sly grin from spreading across her face.

"It is not wise to interfere in others affairs, Highness." The princess' Sheikah bodyguard, Impa spoke sternly. "I am sure that neither Sheik, nor the Hero would appreciate your...encouragement, even if you have foreseen it."

"But, Impa, do you really think that Link and Sheik will admit their feelings to each other?" Zelda asked sceptically. "I think that Link might already know, but Sheik..." the princess paused, considering what to say, "Well...he looks at everything in a far too literal manner. Sometimes I wonder if he really can see the truth with his Sheikah eyes, since he doesn't seem to notice what is blindingly obvious to everyone else."

* * *

"Um, Sheik?" the Hero spoke hesitantly, "About back there..."

"Don't mention it, Hero. It doesn't matter." I cut in quickly, interrupting the Hero and I turned away, embarrassed by my actions though my cowl hid my blush. I had shouted at him over things that were not his fault, raging at him and the princess, and if that wasn't enough to cause embarrassment, I break down almost weeping into his shoulder and creating an array of awkward moments between us.

I broke almost every Sheikah regulation. I was not allowed emotion to affect me, no matter which emotion it was. It was stupid.

Idiotic.

Foolish.

"You aren't avoiding the issue again, are you?" he questioned. Damn.

"No." I lied. There was no way I was letting him discuss this.

"Right..." the Hero said, somewhat unconvinced and I had the impression that he didn't know whether to believe me or not.

"We'd better get moving, Hero. We still have to locate the Time Rift and close it before we can return to Hyrule." I reminded him, hoping that he wouldn't notice the change of subject.

"Oh, okay." was his only response and we made our way back out of the ruined temple and once again into the scorching heat of the desert.

* * *

"So, do you have any ideas where the Rift is?" the Hero asked as we began making our way back into the merchant town of Holon.

"Well, the Princess did give us this." I spoke, unfurling a tattered map from my item pouch and holding it open. "The report that the Princess has received gave indications of the Time Rift being around this region here." I said, pointing to the borderline of Hyrule where the grassy plains subside into vicious thickets of wild forest, marshlands and mountains.

"Why would the a rift in time have appeared there?" the Hero asked and I found myself also puzzled by this fact. Time had fractured in a place where it should not have been damaged.

They were a few minor time rifts and portals throughout Hyrule as most portals were created by the Princess Zelda's Time reversal. She hadn't realised that she had damaged Time itself when she had sent the Hero back to his past and reset all that had occurred within the seven years of the King of Evil's reign.

I had thought that the Temple of Time portal was the most dangerous of the rifts, but it seems that another rift along the border of Hyrule's vast forest was just as powerful as the Princess would not have sent the Hero and I to deal with it if it only posed a minor threat.

"When the Princess returned you to your original time, she unwittingly ripped Time itself apart, creating a rupture across the seven years of the Imprisoning War. This rupture spread across Time, affecting both time periods that you travelled to and created portals between them."

"So, why would there be a portal at the edge of the forest?" he asked, which was also a question that was concerning me.

"It is unclear why a portal has been created there, but I am sure that we will find the answer to that question when we find the portal." I stated.

"Right. Are we able to warp to the forest?" the Hero questioned.

"If you have the Ocarina of Time in your possession, then we should be able to warp into Kokiri forest with the Minuet." I spoke and the Hero pulled out the Ocarina of Time, holding the oval shaped instrument a few inches from his mouth, ready to play and I copied him, removing my lyre from my item pouch and holding it aloft I began to strum to notes of the Minuet of Forest.

As I played the six notes of the song, the Hero mimicked the melody on the ocarina, following my lead as we played the song. As we completed the Minuet, green light enveloped us and our vision faded to white as we were teleported to the Kokiri forest.

* * *

We were teleported onto the stone plinth bearing the Forest medallion symbol in the Sacred Meadow clearing next to the ledge which led to the Forest Temple. As we stepped off of the stone table and looked around, I saw that very little had changed since the last time I had visited the forest. The only real noticeable difference was that the plants and vines had grown even more wild than before which I am sure would become a problem when trying to find out way through the dense undergrowth.

We exited the clearing, heading back into the maze-like passageways of the Sacred Forest meadow that would lead us back into the heart of the Lost Woods.

As we worked our way through the confusing thicket of vines, I found that I had to take out my dagger to cut through the bracken as the forest had grown so wild that the passageways were almost blocked by the forest creepers. I noticed that the Hero was also using this method, as he was wielding a short blade in his hand and was hacking his way through the thicket.

--

Half an later, we emerged from the Sacred Forest Meadow and arrived back into the central labyrinth of the Lost Woods looking as though we'd been dragged through the woods. Our hands and forearms had been cut and scraped by the thorns on the creepers, our clothes had been torn slightly as we tried to battle our way through the undergrowth, and small twigs and leaves had been snagged through our hair.

All in all, it was not a pleasant experience.

As we walked through the forest, past the clearing with the forest spring, we took a detour from the usual way that would lead us back to Kokiri Forest instead taking a path that led deeper into the woods.

The Hero stopped abruptly, staring at the back of his left palm which had begun to emit a golden light.

"What is it, Hero?"

"The Triforce of Courage is resonating..." he spoke, carefully examining his left hand as he removed his left gauntlet. As he took the glove off, the mark of the Triforce on the back of his hand shone brightly, the lower left triangle radiating the most light.

"The Triforce of Courage may be reacting to the Time Rift." I stated, noticing the way the symbol glowed was wavering slightly. "That may be due to the fact that the Time Rifts were created by your adventures across both timelines. The Triforce recognises the Rift energy and is responding to it." I paused. "Hold out your arm." I instructed and the Hero complied, holding his arm out straight, his palm perpendicular to his shoulder in a "Stop" gesture. The Hero frowned as the Triforce symbol glowed more brightly. "I think that the Triforce of Courage may be able to lead us to the Time Rift." I spoke as my theory was confirmed. "Try leading the way." I suggested.

The Hero did as he was told and began to lead the way through the forest, his arm still held aloft like some bizarre compass and I followed his trail through the woods.

The Hero continued to walk through the forest without hesitation, as though he was being pulled by an invisible thread to the Time Rift. I knew that it was probably dangerous for the Hero to blindingly follow where the Triforce of Courage was leading him, but I though nothing more of it as I hurried to keep up with him.

--

I stopped as soon as I saw that the Hero had halted, his palm outstretched towards a toxic-looking swirling cloud that floated in the clearing. The gas was a noxious purple, laced with golden light and I could see blue light shine from within the shroud, twisting and coiling like a serpent.

There was no doubt that this was the rupture in time, although I did not expect the Time Rift to hold such a ominous presence. The question that still remained unanswered was the location of the Time Rift. Nothing seemed to explain the why a rupture in time would have appeared so deeply into the forest where the Hero was unlikely to have walked.

Speaking of which, the Hero seemed transfixed, hypnotised, even as he looked into the portal. His eyes were glassy, unseeing as he stared at the portal, his hand reaching out to touch the Time Rift.

"Link, don't touch it!" I shouted a warning at him, but he did not hear it. I tried to pull him his arm away, but he shrugged off my grip.

My mind was screaming that this was wrong, but the Hero ignored my continued protests for him to stop and reached out his hand, his palm connecting with the Time Rift...

* * *

Shadow Hylian: Ah, cliffhangers, you've got to love them. Anyway, rest assured that the next chapter will be up much quicker.

As usual, feedback is very much appreciated, so review please!


	7. Death

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the Property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: I have been ordered by the Princess Zelda to accompany the Hero into northern Hylia as he investigates rumours of a gateway to the Sacred Realm that have said to have appeared. But why do I get the impression that this is a set-up? Shink Yaoi.

Shadow Hylian: Again, thank you to all my reviewers. I think that this is my favourite chapter that I've written so far.

* * *

Chapter 7: Death.

As the Hero's palm connected with the Time Rift, the energy issuing from the portal flared and the Hero grimaced, falling to his knees.

"Hero!" I called to him, concerned by his reaction as the could of energy swirled and coiled, the gas condensing and being drawn towards him, circling around his body as he sat crouched on the forest floor. As the Hero breathed in the noxious gas from the portal, I heard him wheeze and gasp as though he was winded, his breath forced from his lungs.

I quickly linked my palms together, holding my arms at shoulder height with my palms facing the rift and began summoning my magic power in preparation of sealing the Time Rift. I closed my eyes, focusing my concentration, but I could still hear the Hero coughing and wheezing as the rift's energy suffocated him.

I needed to seal the Time Rift quickly. I gathered my magical power, containing it within my linked palms before directing the sealing spell at the void and releasing my magic, halting the energy flowing through the portal and closing the Time Rift.

"Hero, are you okay?" I asked, turning towards him, but I heard a muffled thud as he collapsed to the ground. The Hero let out a rattling gasp, clutching his throat as he tried to breathe, his body beginning to flail as the Void's radiation infected his body, he gasped for breath, his eyes rolling as he fell into a seizure.

"Hero." I called, kneeling beside him, putting a hand beneath his head to prevent him from injuring himself. I pressed my free hand to his forehead; his body was on fire, but cold sweat was running down his cheeks. He was shivering, trembling uncontrollably as he fitted and I tried to calm him, although my mind was a blank. "Hero, it's okay. I've got you." I comforted as my heart raced, panicking for the Hero's safety. There was nothing I could do for him; my magic would not help him. All I could do was make sure that he didn't cause himself injury.

The Hero went limp in my arms as his seizure passed and I could have cried in relief. But something was not right.

I searched his expression frantically, hovering a hand over the Hero's mouth to check his breathing. I couldn't feel anything. In panic, I pressed my ear to his chest, fearing for Link's well-being. I could not feel the rise and fall of his chest, nor could I hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

Goddesses, please, no. He couldn't be...

"Link!" I cried out, shaking his lifeless form, panic fogging my mind. I clenched my right fist over Link's heart and linked my other hand over it, pressing downwards sharply, trying to resuscitate him.

No response.

I tore the cowl from my face, pinching Link's nose, tilting back his head pressed my mouth to his, giving the Hero my breath.

No response.

Tears stung my eyes as I returned to the chest compressions. _Please, let him come round,_ I thought as a lump began to rise painfully in my throat and I choked back a sob.

No response.

I gave him another breath, my tears falling across his face. Another breath.

No response.

"No, you're not dying, Link!" I spoke, the words tearing my throat as I again returned to the chest compressions. "You can't die...not yet." I sobbed, unwilling to accept that the Hero had passed away.

No, it couldn't be...

I cupped a hand to his face, gazing into those handsome features and realising that I would never again see the way his eyes twinkled when he smiled. I brushed a strand of his hair aside, placed a gentle kiss to his temple and rested me head against his as my heart shattered and I weeped over his body. I crumbled, my arms buckling as I sobbed into his chest, my arms curling around his neck as I clung to him, grief tearing at my heart.

* * *

(Link's P.O.V)

Blackness.

My face was wet. Was it raining?

Hazily, my consciousness came back to me. I was aware of a stricken sound like a wounded animal and a weight on my chest.

I opened my eyes, my vision clouded and barely focused, but I could just make out a bandaged hat and a sheaf of blond hair.

"Farore, that hurt." I groaned and I felt the weight on my chest jolt and Sheik turned to face me. As I slowly sat up, my weight resting on my elbow, my vision became clearer. I saw Sheik's tufty blond hair crumpled and messy, the trails of shed tears visible on his unmasked face and fresh tears spilling from his scarlet eyes.

And he looked beautiful.

"Link.." I heard him murmur, his complexion paling. He raised a shaky palm to my face, trailing it across my cheek and he pressed his lips to mine chastely. "I though I'd lost you." he whispered into my neck, gripping my shoulders as he clung to me.

"Shh..." I soothed, kissing the top of the Sheikah's head as he weeped. "That was one hell of a shock the void gave me, but it was worth it if it finally got you using my name." I joked, "But I'm fine. Just got a bit of a headache, that's all."

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I've already said that I'm fine." I smiled weakly, ruffling the hair of the Sheikah that I loved dearly. Sheik mimicked this expression nervously.

"Oh, um...sorry." he muttered, embarrassed by his actions and he withdrew shyly, but I held onto his arms, keeping him in place.

"Sheik...there's nothing for you to be sorry about." I spoke gently, running a thumb over his cheek. "You saved my life."

"Yeah, but that's no reason to...I mean, I shouldn't have..." Sheik spoke, still trying half-heartedly to pull away, not meeting my eyes. I knew he was uncomfortable, I saw a blush spreading across his beautifully soft yet masculine features that he almost always kept hidden.

"Sheik, I really don't mind you kissing me." I spoke fondly, holding Sheik's chin and turning his head to face me. He still looked embarrassed, but he held my gaze. "And, actually...there's been something I've been wanting to tell you for a while, but I haven't had the chance to say." I said, drawing him closer and resting my temple against his. "Something that I've known for a while, but I've been too afraid to tell you..." I murmured and I could feel Sheik shiver beside me.

'I'm drawn to you, Sheik...I think about you all the time. Even when I was going through the depths of hell, all I could think about was getting to the next temple in the hopes of seeing you." I breathed, my breath tickling the side of Sheik's face. "I'm in love with you, Sheik. I think I always have been..." I spoke and pressed my lips to his.

I could feel Sheik's uncertainty as he twitched nervously and tried to twist away from me, but I held him tight and he relaxed into my embrace as he responded to my touch. He returned my contact equally, and immediately leaned into my touch, kissing me back.

When we broke contact, he avoided my gaze.

"Sheik, what's wrong?" I asked, arms held protectively around his body as I tried to comfort him.

"This isn't the way it's supposed to be..." he spoke, his voice cracking. "It's not right. We can't..."

"Hey, since when has it been wrong for someone to be in love?"

"You know what I mean!" Sheik roared unexpectedly, tears spilling from his scarlet eyes as he wrenched out of my grasp. "This type of relationship isn't exactly normal."

"Well, we're hardly average Joes, are we?" I joked, but evidently this was the wrong thing to do.

"How can you take this lightly, Link?" Sheik asked, "People will hate us, think of us as evil and inhumane, yet you laugh it off as though it means nothing?!" he demanded. "it isn't enough just to love someone."

"Why not?" I countered, a slight edge to my voice.

"Because this wasn't supposed to happen!"

* * *

Shadow Hylian: And the Shinkness topped with a large serving of angst begins!

As always, I love feedback, so review and tell me what you though of the first proper Shink moment.


	8. Guilt and Anxiety

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the Property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: I have been ordered by the Princess Zelda to accompany the Hero into northern Hylia as he investigates rumours of a gateway to the Sacred Realm that have said to have appeared. But why do I get the impression that this is a set-up? Shink Yaoi.

Shadow Hylian: Again, thank you for the reviews.

* * *

Chapter 8: Guilt and Anxiety

(Link's P.O.V)

The Sheikah paced anxiously, hands grabbing fistfuls of his hair in anguish. "If the Princess and Lady Impa finds out..." he groaned, imagining the implications of Zelda finding out about our relationship and the punishments that would follow.

"I think the Princess Zelda already knows." I spoke, my tone even. "I thought there was something funny about the looks she was giving us when she told us about the mission. I think that she intentionally put us together on this quest and if she already knows, then it is likely that Impa will also know." I stated.

"This is wrong. It's all wrong!" Sheik shouted. "I'm not supposed to be like this! I'm not supposed to grow attached to people!" he screamed. I faltered at his harsh tone; it tore at my heart.

"Sheik..." I spoke, reaching out towards the Sheikah and drawing him close to my chest in a gentle embrace, my hands clasping onto his. "It doesn't matter if this is not the way you are supposed to be." I spoke softly. "Are you saying that you regret meeting me?" I breathed.

"No...no, of course not." Sheik spoke, "But I don't want you to get hurt because of me..."

"Sheik, no one is going to hurt us." I spoke gently. "I won't let them..."

"But, what about the Princess?"

"What about her?" I asked, though I knew what he meant. "If Princess Zelda sent us on this mission together knowing that this would happen, then I think it's fair to say that she understands."

"But-"

"Shh. Don't worry about the Princess. Come on, we'll need to got back to the castle, since we've completed out mission."

--

We travelled through the Lost Woods, making our way back towards Hyrule Castle, navigating our way between the thick undergrowth.

"Ugh...I don't feel so good." Link groaned, raising his left hand to his temple. Now that he mentioned it, he did look rather pale and there was dark rings below the Hero's eyes that would usually indicate several nights without sleep. The effect made him look gaunt.

"Perhaps we'd better find someplace for you to rest for a while." I spoke anxiously, carefully watching the hero.

"Yeah, you're probably right..." he agreed

--

"Sheik, I really don't feel good." the Hero grimaced as he sat down on a cut tree stump at the edge of the clearing and resting his head in his hands.

I frowned; he was clutching his head and by the way he was clenching his jaw, I could tell that he was in considerable pain. I knelt down beside him, taking ahold of his head and gently tilting his chin back so that I could look into his eyes.

As I brushed aside his bangs, I noticed that his hair had become much paler, but I reasoned that the sun must have bleached it while we were travelling through the desert.

The odd thing was that his skin hadn't tanned with the sun, it had paled to an almost ashen-looking tone. I placed my thumbs slightly above Links eyebrow, encouraging the hero to keep his eyes open so that I could examine his condition.

As I looked into his eyes, I saw that his pupils were dilated and his eyes were glassy as though he had been drugged, but what disconcerted me the most was the fact that the Hero's irises had faded, making his usual cerulean blue eyes appear a cloudy, distant sky blue.

I was worried about his well-being; these were not usual occurrences and I was concerned about the effects of the Time Rift's radiation on the Hero. I turned away, intending on finding a comfortable place to rest, but a sound made me pause.

"Sheik..." I heard Link murmur and I turned back towards him in time to see the Hero fall forwards, crashing to the ground in a dead faint.

* * *

We teleported to the grounds of Hyrule Castle, appearing on the grassy hilltop inside the castle perimeter, the Hero's arm draped over my shoulder as I tried to support him.

"Medic! Someone, I need a medic!" I shouted desperately, laying the Hero flat on the grass as I stumbled to my feet, trying to find someone to help me, my mind fogging with panic.

Two Hylian sentries, who had witnessed our arrival approached where I was crouching over the Hero.

"You are the Messenger of the Princess, are you not?" one of the guards asked.

"Get the medics and inform the princess that the Hero has been injured." I spoke, distressed and agitated by the guards apparent lack of concern. "Now!" I barked and both of the guards did as I instructed them to.

"Get a medic over here quickly!" they commanded and it was only a matter of minutes before the castle doctors approached where I sat crouched beside the Hero's prone form and began administering healing magic on him.

* * *

(Several hours later...)

"So, tell me again. What exactly happened?" Impa asked, arms crossed as she stood baring down upon me as we waited outside the treatment room.

"I...I don't know." I stated weakly, sagging against the wall I was leaning against. I was shaken, disorientated by the Hero's trauma caused by his contact with the Time Rift. "I...think it was something to do with the energy issuing from portal. The Hero...he touched the rift before I had a chance to seal it. It's my fault..," I admitted, lowering my head, guilt threatening to gag me. My incompetence had meant that the Hero had gotten hurt.

"Did you manage to seal the Time Rift?" Impa asked seriously.

"...Yes." I muttered distractedly, musing over my thoughts.

"Sheik, you cannot afford to be distracted by trivial emotions. You know the rules-" Impa began to reprimand, but she fell silent as the doors of the treatment room opened and Princess Zelda followed by a royal medic stepped into the corridor.

"How is he?" I asked immediately, noting the princess' guilty expression. So he was beginning to regret the full consequences of her actions sending us on this mission.

"The Hero has suffered severe psychological trauma due to the radiation from the Time Rift. Also, it seems that the energy that issues from the portal has poisonous properties that have weakened his body.

"Can I see him?" I asked anxiously almost before the Princess had finished speaking. Zelda smiled sadly at me before holding the door open for me.

I stepped through the doors slowly, scanning the room and seeing the Hero lying unconscious upon the only bed at the back of the room. Time seemed to slow as I walked to the Hero's side, my vision fading as I moved to his bedside and slumped into the chair placed next to the bedside table. I shifted closer to him, leaning over him to gauge his condition for myself.

The Hero had a weary expression on his face, his complexion drained and the rings beneath his eyes looked more prominent. I felt a lump rise in my throat and constrict my breathing as I brushed his long, pale-gold bangs out of his eyes, tears stinging my eyes.

The Princess Zelda appeared at my side silently, though I hardly cared that she was present as I gazed at the Hero's prone form, running my thumb down his face and caressing his cheek. I noticed that the Princess frowned at this motion before glancing curiously at me and I knew what she was thinking but I did not care that she was watching me.

The guilt was overwhelming me; I couldn't stay here for fear of breaking down at his bedside. I pushed myself away from him, numbly registering that my legs were somehow managing to support my weight despite how weak I felt and I turned away, almost bolting out of the door.

* * *

Shadow Hylian: As usual, feedback is very much appreciated, so review please!


	9. Heart of Steel

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: The Rift has been closed, but the portal's radiation is infecting the Hero, changing him. I was my fault he was hurt and now I know what I must do. What I should have done from the beginning. Turn my heart to steel. Shink.

Shadow Hylian: Thank you to all the people who reviewed last chapter. A bit of a warning for this chapter; it contains Zelda!Hate, but it's with good reason so no flames please. Be nice.

Also, since we're moving into the second arc of the story, I've changed the summary to reflect this.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 9: Heart of Steel

It was my fault that he was hurt. It was because I couldn't protect him.

I would have to do what I should have done from the beginning. Turn my heart to steel.

My time with the Hero had made me complacent; he had taught me how to open up and feel emotion, and now, for his sake, I had to return to my cold, impassive and unfeeling state.

It was all I could do to protect him.

I was distracted by the sound of the door opening, and the Princess Zelda stepped into the room. Her expression was wary, nervous almost as though she feared me. She fidgeted anxiously, not keeping eye contact with me and I had the impression that she knew that I did not want her in my company.

"Sheik, I" she began, hesitantly, apparently trying to gather the courage to look me in the face as she spoke to me. "I...I'm sorry. I am so sorry."

And now she was trying to apologize.

If the Princess hadn't been playing games with our lives, toying with us as though we were pawns on a chessboard to be moved at will, then this would not have happened.

I could see the tears that spilled from her eyes, but I felt no pity. She had caused this. She had cause this by thinking that she can control our lives.

The Princess had obviously forgot what had happened the last time she thought that she could control destiny. O wise Princess Zelda had thought that she could control the power of the Sacred Realm and had torn lives apart with her foolishness.

"Sheik..." she choked, "I'm...so sorry. If I hadn't sent you both on this mission then Link would not have been hurt." she sobbed. I silently agreed with her, but I did not reply. A few minutes of silence passed. "Sheik?" the Princess spoke, obviously needing some sort of answer to her previous statement.

"The Hero wouldn't have got hurt if you hadn't sent us on that mission" I agreed, my voice growing in anger, "But you had to interfere!" I almost spat at her, my tone cutting and harsh. I felt a vindictive satisfaction in the way the princess flinched at my tone.

I wanted to blame her for the Hero becoming hurt, even though I knew his injuries were due to my own stupidity. "Don't you realise?!" I roared, "That portal held unimaginable power. It is a void through time and space and Link looked right into the heart of it! A portal that harnesses the raw power of time and space is like looking directly into the sun! It would overwhelm any who gazed into it! It would blind them!" the words tore at my throat.

I could tell that the Princess now understood the reason why I was so distraught. The power that the portal held could very easily have killed the Hero instantly. He survived, but the effects of the portal's radiation could be slowly killing him and we wouldn't know. There wouldn't even be anything that we could do to stop it.

"Sheik, he'll be okay." was Zelda's pathetic attempt to console me, resting a hand on my shoulder. "We'll be able to help him."

"I don't want your help!" I roared angrily, swatting away her arm viciously. "How have you helped before, Princess?! Tell me, exactly how you have helped us?!"

"Sheik, I-"

"You destroy people's lives, _you bitch! _That's all you ever do! You stole seven years of his life! You stole my existence! You stole what we could have had! But you didn't stop there, did you? You could just write me out of the equation, you had to try and erase his memory as well and then you reversed time in the hope that we would never meet! You never wanted me to exist in the first place, did you?!"

"Sheik, please, calm down." Zelda implored, but the floodgates of my rage had been broken. I couldn't stop the resentment and hate I felt towards the Princess. She deserved it, I thought bitterly, watching her timid expression.

A loud crack and a flash of light signalled Impa's arrival. Evidently she had heard the commotion.

"Still your tongue, Sheik." she spoke icily, her tone silencing me. "Your Highness, I beg your forgiveness for Sheik's insubordination." then she grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out of the room.

--

"I'd advise you from venting your anger on the Princess, Sheik. It is not a wise move." Impa lectured, arm folded in a stance of superiority, reprimanding me almost as soon as we had left the room.

"So I've to talk to her with pretty words and false grace just because she's the Princess?" I spoke, my tone indicating that I would do no such thing.

"You know that is the case." Impa replied, expression stoic. "I know why you want to blame the Princess for your faults, but you are only shifting your guilt to another."

"...I know." I admitted.

"Yet still you insist on keeping you emotions unmasked..." she said and lunged towards me caught off guard and put me into a headlock with one arm, immobilising my arms with the other. "Then your face will also be unmasked until you can control your temper and remain impassive. " she declared, whipping my cowl and headscarf off and revealing my face.

I glared angrily at her, using my arm to try and shield my face, nose buried into the crook of my elbow.

"It's no use glaring at me, Sheik. You won't get your cowl back until you cool your head." she almost smirked at me, the corners of her mouth tugging into a grim smile.

I had the shrewd expression that she was doing this to tease me.

"What are you scheming?" I asked irritatedly, still trying to conceal my face.

"Scheming? I am afraid I do not know what you mean, Sheik." she spoke, tone of mock innocence.

She was up to something and I knew it. Or maybe it was just me being paranoid. One or the other.

I narrowed my gaze, turned on my heel and marched away, determined to get even.

--

"What's wrong, Impa?" the Princess asked as she stepped into the hallway, seeing Sheik walking away angrily down the corridor.

"Nothing, Princess." the Sheikah spoke. "I just...evened the boards a bit." At the Princess's questioning glance, Impa continued. "Sheik was out of line, addressing your Highness in so disrespectful a manner, so I reprimanded him." she stated simply. "Shall we go visit the Hero, Highness?" Impa asked.

* * *

The Hero opened his eyes blearily, grimacing as he tried to sit up and feeling as though a lead weight was resting on his chest, anchoring him down to the bed.

The Princess Zelda raised from her bedside vigil when she saw him struggling and hurried to his side to help the Hero.

"It's alright, Link. You're safe now." the Princess placed a gloved hand on his shoulder gently, trying to encourage the Hero to relax and lie back.

"Where's Sheik?" Link asked automatically.

"It's okay. He's just gone out on an errand for me. He'll be back soon." Zelda lied for the sake of sparing the Hero's feelings, trying to conceal her troubled expression.

If Sheik's recent display of affection towards the Hero was any indication, then their relationship had shifted while they were away. It wasn't as though this news particularly shocked or surprised her; she had known that both harboured feelings for the other for a while. It was just that...she wasn't expecting Sheik to be showing emotion openly. It wasn't a Sheikah trait.

"Link, you're not well enough to get out of bed." the Princess fretted anxiously, trying to stop him from getting up but Link ignored this, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, reaching for his green tunic and hat on the bedside table and put them on.

"There's nothing wrong with me, Zelda. I'm fine." the Hero said impatiently, putting on his boots. "I want to find Sheik, he's been gone for ages."

"I would not trouble myself looking for Sheik if I were you, Hero." Impa spoke from the doorway. "I doubt that he'd be able to face anyone at the moment." she spoke, holding up a familiar grey cowl with a smirk.

--

The Hero strode through the castle hallways purposely, trying to find the errant Sheikah. Impa had told him that she had last seen Sheik in the south wing and, hopefully, he hadn't strayed too far.

As he rounded the corner, Link thought that he saw a streak of blue cross his field of vision for a split-second.

"Sheik!" he called, but the figure bolted down the corridor and turned the corner at the end of it before the Hero could catch up.

--

I came to a halt, gasping for air and clutching a stitch in my side, leaning against the tapestry-draped wall , still hiding my face with one arm.

Damn. the Hero had given chase.

I'd just managed to evade him, but I was certain that Link had caught a glimpse of me as he came round the corner. I didn't want him to see me like this, but there was no shadows to hide in. And now he that he had seen me, he was bound to be following me.

I set off again, wandering through the hallways distractedly, not really concentration on where I was going as long as I was on the move. If I kept moving around, then Link would have more trouble finding me. It wasn't exactly ideal that the many windows along the length of the corridor prevented any substantial shadows from being cast.

Loud heavy footsteps moving quickly alerted me. I quickly turned and saw the Hero sprinting towards me and set off again, cursing silently.

The Hero had the advantage; he'd gotten a head start and was quickly catching up on me.

"Sheik!" I heard him call out to me and my pace quickened. I was hoping to evade him again. If I was able to run away, avoid him, then I wouldn't have to hurt him with cold words and indifferent expressions.

Making up my mind, I skidded to a halt and rummaged through my supplies for the teleportation Deku Nuts, hoping for a quick escape.

Nothing. I couldn't find them.

Oh, crap. Impa had stolen them from me when she had taken my cowl and headscarf and I hadn't realised. Link was closing in on me fast and I didn't have any way of escaping.

I turned round to face him, my expression one of unease, my arm still covering my face as he approached me, slowing to a quick walk.

"Sheik, why are you running away from me?" he asked. I didn't want to answer. I turned on my heel, intending on making a run for it, but Link caught me by the right arm, turning me to face him, my back pressed against the wall meaning that escaping from him was almost impossible. I avoided his gaze and struggled to get free, realising too late that I was neglecting to hide my face behind my left arm.

"Let me go." I fidgeted, humiliation colouring my cheekbones, my eyes on the floor.

"Sheik, look at me." Link spoke, hands placed on my shoulders, his tone almost pleading. There was only one way I could get away from him, but I hoped that this would not be necessary.

I took a deep breath and steeled myself for what I told myself was the only way that I could protect him. I changed my expression into one of anger and glowered at the Hero defiantly.

"What is it I am supposed to be looking at, Hero?" my tone was callous, raw, my words designed to cut. I stood rigidly against the wall. Although my face was not masked as it usually was, all emotion was hidden by a mask of cold indifference and, even though I was looking at the Hero, I was staring straight through him as though he was not there.

His gaze wavered, his dulled cerulean orbs holding my unblinking scarlet stare and I knew that my words had hurt him.

"What's wrong? Have I said something that's hurt you?" he asked, "And why are you calling me 'Hero' again? I thought you were beginning to call me by name instead of title..."

"You are the Hero of Time, so I shall address you as such." I spoke coldly, "As for my emotional well-being, you need not concern yourself with such details. I do not require nor want your concern." He frowned at that, angry and confused as to why I was brushing him off. His brow creased, his lip curling into an angry snarl as he clenched his jaw, drawing back his fist.

I didn't even try to avoid the strike that I knew was coming. It would lessen my guilt if Link took out his hurt and betrayal on me. If he had just accepted what I was saying, then it would fester in my heart.

I offered no resistance as his punch landed, striking my jaw and I fell backwards, staggering against the wall and crumpling to the ground.

My head swam, disorientating me and I tasted blood in my mouth. Before I could gather my wits, Link roughly seized me and hauled me to my feet, slamming me against the wall.

I gasped, the strength of the collision forcing the breath from my lungs. I chanced a quick glance at the Hero and his expression shocked me to the core.

"So you...lied to me? Was it all a lie?" he growled in a low deadly voice.

I couldn't answer.

"Sheik, look at me!" he demanded, a hand latching onto my jaw and he turned my head to face him.

This time I looked into his eyes properly and was shocked to see his angry expression, betrayal flashing in foreign blank iris-less eyes, the cerulean blue that I knew so well having faded away completely. The effect made him look feral, beyond reason.

"Hero-" I began, but Link tightened his iron grasp on me and spoke again.

"When you saved my life, it didn't mean anything to you?" his tone was calm, but I flinched as if he had shouted.

"I was doing my duty." I lied, trying to keep my voice from cracking, the edges of my eyes beginning to sting not from fright nor pain. It was because I knew I was deliberately hurting him; I was lying to him as much as I was lying to myself. It was the only way I could protect him.

Link hesitated, a muscle twitching in his jaw.

"When I told you that I loved you, you didn't feel anything?" his voice quietened as he whispered almost tenderly, his thumb tracing circles along my cheekbone.

Tears welled, but I blinked them back, trying to keep my composure.

"...No." my voice cracked. "...It meant nothing..."

But tears spilled from my eyes...

The Hero smiled weakly, a stony and emotionless expression, wiping away the salty trails.

"If you are supposed to be so heartless, then why are you weeping?"

And he walked away, leaving me where I stood.

* * *

Shadow Hylian: As always, feedback is very much appreciated so review please!


	10. Imprisonment and Theft

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: The Rift has been closed, but the portal's radiation is infecting the Hero, changing him. I was my fault he was hurt and now I know what I must do. What I should have done from the beginning. Turn my heart to steel. Shink.

Shadow Hylian: Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter. There is a lot of dialogue in this chapter, but it's stuff that needs to be said.

**"Other Speech"**

This chapter contains a bit of mild Zelda!Hate at the beginning. Again, it is with good reason, so no flames please.

* * *

Chapter 10: Imprisonment and Theft

I watched the Hero's retreating back as he walked away, his stance rigid, his stride full of anger.

"Link I-"

I didn't mean it. I had almost spoken the words before realising that it should not be said. This was the way it was supposed to be.

I could hear the sounds of footsteps from behind me and the Princess' voice rang out for the Hero to stop. Evidently she had followed us.

"Sheik, are you okay?" she asked stupidly as she saw me wince at the movement of rubbing the back of my hand idly over the large bruise forming on my cheek. "What's wrong with your eyes? Have you been crying?" the Princes tried to look into my eyes, her tone one of great surprise as if she could not believe that I was capable of showing weakness and shedding tears. I turned my back on her somewhat angrily, wiping away the last traces of emotion, the Princess' presence beginning to irritate me greatly. "What happened? Did he hit you?"

"Nothing's wrong, Princess." I dismissed sharply, hoping that would be the end of it.

"But he hit you, didn't he?" she continued undeterred. Apparently the Princess wasn't going to give up that easily. "Did you fall out?"

"Nothing's wrong." I repeated, finding Zelda's tone to be incredibly patronising. "I deserved it anyway..." I murmured to myself.

"What? Why?"

"For being me." I decided to be evasive. The Princess could interpret whatever she wanted from that. I began to walk in the opposite direction when I heard the Princess call out to the Hero.

"Link, please wait!" she trotted after him, gently taking hold of his arm. I saw the Princess falter as he glared at her and I warned her to stand back, but Zelda had set her resolve. "Link, I know you're angry but it's not Sheik's fault, it's mine. Blame me, I'm the one who always stood in your way, who always expected you to do whatever I told you to."

"Princess, step away from him." I cautioned again, noting the way the Hero's blank eyes flashed, the way his shoulders tensed and I felt that it was not a wise idea for Zelda to provoke Link while his mental state was so volatile.

"Do you think that you understand everything, Princess of Murderers?" he spat at her.

"Hero, no! That is not what this is about!" I tried to intervene.

"You understand nothing. Is that the reason you have to destroy everything around you? Is that why you destroy people's lives?" he asked.

"Link I-"

"I don't want to hear your apologies, Zelda. What did you say to Sheik?!" he demanded.

So that was it. He thought that Zelda was ordering me to act distant.

"That is not the reason, Hero." I spoke, hoping that Link would pick up on what I was trying to tell him.

"What did you say to him?! Tell me!" The Hero repeated, evidently not listening to me. Then he lunged, charging towards the Princess.

"Hero, stop it!" I shouted, trying to shield Zelda. I sprung forward, grabbing hold of his arms and tried to restrain him. Impa stepped forward, Deku Nut in hand and threw the device to the floor, creating a blinding flash of light that rendered the Hero sightless for a few seconds before pulling out a whip-like metal chain and using it to secure the Hero's wrists, immobilising him.

The Hero struggled, trying to break out of his temporary bonds and cursed angrily.

"Princess, he's too dangerous to be let loose. We don't know what the void's radiation is doing to him." I tried to explain. "His personality is being distorted by the rift."

"So basically, you are saying that he is not the same person as he was before he came into contact with the rift energy?" Impa asked.

"The portal's radiation is infecting him. We cannot assume that he is unchanged by his contact with the void's energy."

"So what do we do with him, Highness?"

"Contain him."

* * *

(Hours later...)

The Hero sighed, leaning back against the rough stone wall, gazing through the bars at some point on the dungeon floor where moonlight was filtering into the dingy room from the small window placed high in the wall behind him.

Link trailed a hand through his bangs distractedly, his thought returning as they had already done several times that night, to Sheik and his mysterious change of heart.

The thought of the memory made anger rise like acid in his chest, clawing at his mind and the Hero growled in frustration. As he gripped his fists, expression once again returning to anger, he felt his senses dull as though cloaked. Link shook his head, trying to relieve the sensation of pressure on his mind, rubbing his temples to lessen the headache, his gaze once again resting on the area of light as he tried to find reason as to why Sheik was brushing him off.

As he watched him weep and wiped away the tears spilling from Sheik's ruby eyes, he knew that his words were false. He could sense that they were forced despite how much Sheik tried to believe them.

There had to be some reason behind it; Sheik wouldn't lie just for the sake of it.

**"I wouldn't believe that if I were you, Hero."** a voice thick and hazy whispered into his ear. Link spun around anxiously looking for the figure, but found no one. **"He broke your heart the same way she did seven years ago. He toyed with your affections, leading you on with his impassive, coy nature and cryptic words then stabbing you in the back."**

"Who's there?!" the Hero called out, but only silence answered him.

**"They only ever hurt you, Hero. To them you are naught but a pawn that they can command to their will."**

**--**

As I waited outside the dungeon doorway, I heard him shouting and stepped into the dungeons cautiously.

"Hero, what are you shouting at?" I surveyed him carefully.

I could just barely see the Hero's outline, most of his body hidden by the dark shadows being cast in the dungeons from the insubstantial light filtering in from the small, high-set windows.

"Are you okay?" I asked, stepping closer to the cell door, though my mind screamed at me that it was a stupid thing to do. "Hero?" I called again when I received no answer, moving closer so that I could see his expression.

I could see the Hero stand up and walk towards the front of the barred cell, leaning his forearms casually on the horizontal support structure of the cell front. Taking this as a sign that he had calmed down, I approached where he stood, hoping that I would be able to reason with him.

Before I could react, Link had reached out seizing the front of my tabard in an iron grip and pulled sharply, jerking me towards the front of the barred cell. Automatically, I put out my hands in front of me to avoid colliding with the steel bars, the metal clanging reverberating loudly off of the rough stone walls.

I could hear my heart beating rapidly, the sound echoing in my ears as I tried to recover my startled state.

"You fear me." he whispered to me, still trying to pull me into the bars, my face inches from the cold metal rods. "Why do you fear me, Sheik? Why are you scared of me?"

"I-I am not." even I thought my tone sounded false.

"I don't think you believe that do you, Sheik?" the Hero tilted his head to look at me properly, blank eyes holding something akin to curiosity in their pearly white depths. His demeanour was predatory, threatening, like a Wolfos stalking his prey. His gaze made me feel uncomfortable, his foreign white eyes convincing me that the Hero's encounter with the vortex had affected his mental state. "Why do you fear me?"

"I-I fear what you are becoming." I chanced a quick look at him, trying to gauge his reaction. "You are not the same person, Link, the void is turning you into-"

"Into what? A monster?" and he laughed at that, the sound harsh, feral almost. I didn't answer him. "Why are you lying to me?" Link asked, whispering through the bars that he was still pulling me closer to.

"I-"

No. I couldn't answer that, it would only cause problems. I closed my mouth, trying to refrain from telling him the reason for my deceit.

"You're not going to answer?" the Hero asked shrewdly, "Avoiding the issue as usual?"

"There is not issue to avoid, Hero." my tone was clipped, impatient. "I have told not falsehoods, not that it is any of your concern and I would appreciate it if you would release me."

"I see..." Link spoke and his tone was unfathomable. "If you are telling no lies, then why are you lying to yourself?"

"I do not know what you mean, Hero." I spoke, not meeting his eyes. "Let me go." I repeated, taking my right hand off of the bars and reaching for my Senbon in case things turned nasty.

The Hero took my imbalance as an opportunity that he could use to his advantage and gave a sharp tug on my tabard. I was pulled forward, unable to stop in time and the bars of the cell collided sharply with my temples, putting pressure on the corners of my eyes as Link kept his grip on me.

Luckily, I avoided getting my nose smashed into the steel bars, which I suppose was some kind of consolation. Though with my face getting crushed against the bars, almost blinded with the pressure against my eyes, I wasn't really appreciating the gesture at the moment.

"Hero, let me go!" I tried to struggle, but he wasn't loosening his grip.

"Why are you lying to me?" he repeated, whispering close to my ear, his breath tickling the side of my face.

"I have nothing to lie about, Hero." I spoke dismissively, focusing on some point to the right of him, avoiding his gaze. I knew immediately that the words sounded as false to him as they did to me.

"Why are you acting like this?" his tone was softer now, his anger ebbing away. "What did I do to hurt you?" he asked, curling an arm around my back and embracing me through the bars, his forehead resting against mine.

"I can't tell you." I spoke, knowing that if I stayed here any longer I would cave to my feelings. "...Please, just let me go."

"Sheik, you can tell me, it's okay."

"...I'm sorry." I spoke, concealing a Senbon in my right hand, clutching the weapon to my chest and waiting for the Hero to shift. The opportunity came as he pulled back a few inches and I swung my hand in a vicious arc, cutting a horizontal line below the Hero's left eye.

The Hero grimaced, releasing his grip on me and I sprung away from him, fleeing out of the dungeon without looking back.

* * *

Link cursed angrily under his breath, wincing as he tried to wipe away the trickle of blood that was rolling down the side of his face from the cut below his eye. He had been too intent on finding out why Sheik was acting so coldly towards him that he hadn't realised that the Sheikah was reaching for a weapon.

One thing did work to his advantage. As he had lured Sheik closer and was able to embrace him, Link had unhooked the dungeon keys from the metal loop on his belt and stolen them from the Sheikah. Sheik had ran away without realising that he no longer had the keys to the cells.

The Hero smirked, twirling the keys around idly. There was no guard to watch him. At random, he selected a key and placed it in the lock, twisting it to see if it would open.

Not that one. Link tried another, then another, trying to keep the keys from clanging together.

Still no luck.

Another key. He twisted it in the lock and it clicked open. Grinning, the Hero gently eased open the door gently, hoping that it wouldn't creak and tip-toed down the hallway until he reached the doorway that led out into the castle corridors.

Link peeked through the barred window at the top of the door, checking to see if there were guards posted on the other side of the door. There wasn't. The castle security was laughable, hadn't the Princess even thought to guard the dungeon doorways in case someone attempted to escape? Apparently not.

The Hero placed a key into the lock, turned it, then picked another key, beginning to test which key fitted. After a few minutes work, the lock open with a satisfying click and Link peered out into the hallway, before creeping out, staying as close to the shadows as possible.

--

After walking around in circles for twenty minutes or so, Link realised that he was lost. He had absolutely no idea where he was, which made it difficult to find an escape route out of the castle.

Footsteps approached. The Hero tried to shrink back into the shadows, keeping close to the wall in the hopes of not being seen and he sidled along the wall, moving away from the shadowed figure.

"It's not use trying to hide, Hero." came the steely edge of Impa's voice as the Princess' nanny walked towards him.

"Impa! I wasn't trying to escape, I was just-" the Hero stammered, caught off guard.

"Along the corridor, take a right, go left, straight ahead, up one flight of stairs, left again and it's the centre door at the end of the hallway." she spoke absently.

"What's there?" Link asked cautiously, unsure whether he should trust her or not.

"Something I believe you are looking for." and she walked away without another word.

--

The Hero followed Impa's instructions, noting a distinct lack of castle guards as he walked down the corridors which led him to an area of the castle that was deeply secluded and much more extravagantly decorated than the rest of Hyrule Castle.

As he looked around at the five doors side-by-side at the end of the hallway, he noticed that the symbol of the Triforce was set into the alcove above the doorway of the middle door, giving the Hero suspicions as to what the room housed.

--

The Sheikah bodyguard of the Princess walked towards where Zelda stood looking out into her moonlit courtyard.

"Princess, I regret to inform you that the Hero has gone AWOL. He's escaped from his cell." Impa spoke nonchalantly, evidently not troubled by the news. "Sheik was supposed to be keeping an eye on him..."

"How did he get out?" Zelda asked worriedly, turning round to look down the hallway for any sign of the Hero.

"It seems that Sheik is not as eagle-eyed as he is supposed to be..."

"Well, what are we supposed to do now? Link could get hurt if he wanders around on his own and we don't know what effect the void is having on him or how to stop it."

"Princess!" Sheik called, running down the hallway and coming to a halt where the Princess and her bodyguard stood, clutching a stitch in his side. "The Royal Treasures are gone."

* * *

Shadow Hylian: As usual, feedback is very much appreciated, so review please!


	11. Broken Shards

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: The Rift has been closed, but the portal's radiation is infecting the Hero, changing him. I was my fault he was hurt and now I know what I must do. What I should have done from the beginning. Turn my heart to steel. Shink.

Shadow Hylian: Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter. Hopefully this chapter will explain why Link has been acting a bit OOC lately...

**"Other speech"**

* * *

Chapter 11: Broken Shards

"What?!"

"The Hero has taken the Ocarina of Time and the Spiritual Stones." I clarified.

"How did he know where the treasures were kept?" Zelda asked angrily, "Who told him where to find them?"

"...I am afraid that would be me, Highness." Impa admitted. "I assumed that the Hero would be looking for Sheik, and since Sheik had switched posts with mine, he would have been on duty guarding the corridor."

"You didn't confine him again after he had escaped?!" the Princess questioned, tone incredulous.

"You cannot lock him up forever, Highness." Impa spoke, "Aside from the fact that the Hero has gone on the run with the Royal Treasures, he is not a criminal."

"What did you tell him?" I asked impatiently.

"I told him the directions to get to that corridor to find something I believe he was looking for. You." she stated. "I thought that you would be there to stop him." was the explanation. "By the way, where were you, Sheik?" she asked shrewdly, cold gaze fixed on mine; she was testing me.

"I do not have time for this. If the Hero has the treasures, then he will be heading for the Temple of Time." I snapped angrily, turning on my heel and walking away from the Princess and the Sheikah elder, "I'm going to find him."

--

As I ran down the dirt track towards the temple at the eastern edge of Castle Town, I tried to figure out just exactly what the Hero was playing at. I thought that he had stolen the Sacred Treasures to prove a point, but it seemed that he intended to take up the Blade of Evil's Bane for the second time.

Something was wrong, of that I was sure. My argument with the Hero had convinced me of that. Something about Link was changing; his passive nature was becoming erratic, unpredictable.

I bolted towards the Temple of Time, hoping that I would be able to stop him.

* * *

As I stepped through the tall oaken doors of the temple, I saw the Hero leaning against the Spiritual Stone altar facing me, his arms folded as though he was expecting my arrival. I noticed that the Triforce symbol carved into the marble above the archway glowed brightly, the passageway to the Master Sword Chamber visible behind him.

The Door of Time had already been opened.

"I've been waiting for you, Sheik." Link smirked, mimicking the words that I usually greeted him with during the Seven years of the Evil King's reign. As he stood up properly, blank-eyed gaze surveying me closely, I could hear what sounded like glass shards being stood on.

At the Hero's feet lay red and green fragments of precious stone along with two golden brackets, one of a spiralled design, the other v-shaped. The remnants of the Kokiri Emerald and Goron's Ruby.

He had shattered them.

"Hero, what do you think you're doing?! If you remove the Master Sword, you'll weaken the seal!" I shouted, stepping angrily towards him. "Where is the Spiritual Stone of Water?" I demanded.

"Oh, you mean this?" Link asked, holding up the Zora's Sapphire idly.

"Give the stone to me."

"No." the Hero decided, "At least, not until you've told me the truth."

Oh Din, not again. Link just wasn't going to give up on the whole 'I know you're lying to me, so I'm just going to keeping bugging you about it until you tell me the truth' thing.

Even though I knew that I would be backing myself into a corner by saying it, I decided to ask the question anyway.

"What truths do you want to know, Hero?"

"Okay, the first thing I want to know: why are you lying to me?"

"I cannot answer that." I stated, beginning to panic.

"Well, if you want the stone back, you'll need to answer it."

"...I'll only hurt you." I murmured, looking away from him.

"What do you mean? Who told you that?" Link asked quickly, intent on finding out what I was hiding from him.

"I am not discussing it."

"Why not?"

"Because I am not you concern."

"..." the Hero merely stared back at my fixed expression of indifference, waiting. I had the impression he was testing me. "Fine. Well, if that's all you're going to tell me, here." Link spoke and he held out the sapphire to me.

As I started forward, hand outstretched to take the stone from him, he tilted his palm to the side before I could grasp it and the sapphire slipped through my fingers, falling to the ground and shattering on the marble floor.

I stared, dumbfounded at the spot where the shards lay, disbelief etched into my face. As I returned my stunned gaze back to the hero, I saw him smirk.

"What the hell did you do that for?!"

"Whoops." the Hero said absently. Seeing my glare he continued. "I told you that you wouldn't get the stone if you didn't tell me the truth." his smug expression did nothing to stem my anger.

"You _bastard!_" I hissed venomously, stepping towards him angrily.

"I gave you a chance to get the stone back. You didn't take it. That's not my problem, Sheik." the Hero spoke evenly and he turned on his heel, striding through the passageway into the Master Sword Chamber.

"Don't you walk away from me!" I roared, marching after him. "If you remove the blade, the seal will weaken! You cannot take it!" I warned, but Link was not listening.

The Hero walked defiantly towards the pedestal housing the Blade of Evil's Bane, hand outstretched as he ran his hand over the hilt.

"Hero, no!" I shouted and moved forwards, ascending the steps leading to the pedestal, and he withdrew his hand slightly, but Link didn't stand back.

The Hero glanced at where I stood, but otherwise paid no attention to me as he placed his hand flat against the wings of the hilt and I frowned at this motion, wondering what Link was planning, but I didn't try to stop him.

As he slowly began to move his hand away, a string of white-blue light connected his palm to the sword and he grasped onto the energy as the light materialised into the outline of a blade. The Hero channelled the energy from the Master Sword and pulled his hand away as the light-blade formed, the streams of energy interlocking and swirling to form two curved blades entwined into a double helix shape.

He was creating a new sword by siphoning power from the Master Sword.

The Hero snapped the energy link and the blue light faded as he turned over his new sword in his hands. The weapon was a large, dual-handed sword of intricate design and looked to be of similar strength to the Biggoron Sword, but since it was created from the Blade of Evil's Bane, the steel would be forged with magical properties. He had created a blade of equal proficiency to the Master Sword without having to take the Sacred Blade form the pedestal, avoiding breaking the seal that the sword protected.

Link twirled the Double Helix sword in his hands, getting used to the feel of the blade and taking a few experimental swings, testing its capabilities.

As Link stowed the blade away and began walking down the steps towards the entrance, he staggered, clutching his head and grimacing in pain.

"Hero, what's wrong?" I asked, trying not to let my worry show. "Hero?"

His head snapped up, fixing me with his white-eyed gaze and I flinched as he stepped back violently as though repulsed. "Hero? Are you okay?" I asked warily, noting the twisted expression of hatred on his features.

**"When Evil overthrows the Hero's mind, he will be drawn to seek out the lost power buried beneath the stone tablets that reside in the domain of the five temples. One in the Sacred Meadow, one in the heart of Death Mountain, one at the centre of Lake Hylia, one above the graveyard and one on the doorstep of the Desert Colossus. Together, the lost power will unite the fragments of the Evil One and bind him to the Hero's mind.' **

**'This is the Legend of the Fierce Deity, as prophesised by the Book of Mudora."**

I gaped at the Hero, his words almost mimicking the Legend of the Temples that I had recited to him during the Evil King's reign. What shocked me the most was the Hero's detached tone, which sounded as though he was not the one speaking.

"Hero? Why are you saying this?"

**"The Hero awakened me when he reached into the portal, into the parallel dimension where I was confined to the darkness. I rested in his mind as he submitted to his weaknesses, granting me access. I can hear him now, he's telling me to let him go, pleading me not to hurt you-"**

"Stop it!" I screamed, the words tearing my throat. "You're not funny, Link. You're scaring me!"

**"I am not the Hero. I am the Fierce Deity."**

* * *

Shadow Hylian: Yay! Fierce Deity makes his appearance!

As always, feedback is very much appreciated, so review please!


	12. Denial

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: The Rift has been closed, but the portal's radiation is infecting the Hero, changing him. I was my fault he was hurt and now I know what I must do. What I should have done from the beginning. Turn my heart to steel. Shink.

Shadow Hylian: Thank you to the people who reviewed last chapter.

**"Fierce Deity Speech"**

_"Possessed Link's speech"_

* * *

Chapter 12: Denial

"Wait!" I called out as the Hero or at least who I thought was the Hero strode away from me, walking back out towards the Spiritual Stone pedestal. "Link, wait!"

**"I have already told you. I am not the Hero." **that same distant voice thick with malice retorted irritatedly.

"W-who are you?" the question...frightened me, I numbly registered as I hurried to his side, wanting to face him through his cold glare. I wasn't exactly sure I wanted to hear what he would say...

**"I am a warlord from the Realm of Termina, parallel to Hyrule. Kishin Onigami."** his blank-eyed gaze was levelled in my direction.

"But you said-"

**"The Fierce Deity is my title. That is the name I am more commonly known by."**

"Why do you have that alias?"

**"An extermination campaign in Ikana Valley some 3000 years ago. I was quite the well known swordsman and let's just say my methods became somewhat...brutal."** He smirked. I did not like the slight emphasis he place on the last word; it was almost like he enjoyed it.

"But how are you-"

**"I am using his body as a host for my soul."** the stranger who was Link, but at the same time was not replied sharply as though the answer to my question was obvious. **"I am residing in his body like a second personality."**

The Fierce Deity turned to face the open doorway, raising the Double Helix Sword and performing a complex piece of magic in a language I did not understand, using the blade as an amplifier. There was a scraping sound and a rumbling as the stone door that barred entrance to the Master Sword Chamber was forced shut.

He examined his handiwork before approaching the warp pedestal, seeming to consider the stone tablet before raising the Double Helix sword above his head, magical energy swirling around the intertwined shape and he swung the blade to the floor in a downwards thrust, the tablet cracking as the sword slammed into it.

"What do you want with him?"

**"I needed a body. He reached out." **Kishin spoke, **"It's as simple as that." **searching through the broken stone and recovering a triangular block of solid gold that was buried within the warp tablet.

"There are other people, you could let him go..." I stated rashly, hoping that the stranger would heed my words.

**"Why is he so important to you?" **the Fierce Deity's gaze was unwavering almost as if he was dissecting me, seeing right through my facade.

"He is not."

**"Your eyes tell me different."**

"..."

**"Why do you want to help him? Answer me that." **Kishin spoke,** "If you cannot answer, you obviously do not know the depths of your own heart..."**

"What do you mean?"

**"Living in someone else's soul has it's advantages. I have access to his thought and to his feelings as the Hero does with mine. We each have influence over the other, like two sides of the same coin. Answer the question."**

"I want to help him because I am his protector." and I tried to convince myself that it was true. I was trying to protect him, but that was not the reason I wanted to help him...

**"No." **Kishin dismissed. **"We both know that is a lie. You want to help him because you feel guilty; it was your fault that I got drawn into his soul, your fault that he got hurt. Isn't that right, Sheikah?"**

I flinched. His tone was cold, emotionless and detached, and I knew that I deserved it.

**"Why can't you just admit it? Is it too much for your Sheikah pride to handle? Or are you afraid of what people would say?" **Kishin inquired, approaching where I stood.

"This is absurd." I declared angrily, turning and marching away from him. He had touched a nerve, but I was not going to allow that to make me act rashly. Dismissing the Fierce Deity's stinging words, I would walk away, remain impassive.

**"Avoiding the issue as per usual." **Kishin sneered, **"You are such a coward. A Sheikah is supposed to stand and face the truth, yet you always run away."**

"Stop it!" I wheeled round to face him, his taunting affecting me greatly. "I don't care what people think; Sheikah are hated anyway and I care not for pride! I can't admit it because I only ever hurt you!"

**"Just say it-"**

"Does it even need saying?! You should know how I feel, I shouldn't have to tell you that!"

**"Yes it does." **Kishin spoke, and paused before continuing, **"If you do not admit it of your own accord, then it means nothing."** he paused again, gaze narrowed in thought.**"You are wasting my time. I have no interest in listening to your denial. If you don't mind, I have to anchor my existence in this realm."** and he left, leaving me where I stood.

--

As I stepped out of the temple, my thoughts lingered on what Kishin had said. He was right, I was running away from the truth. I was denying it.

I felt anxious, indecisive and on edge. I knew that he was baiting me, but I recklessly wanted to seek him out. I knew where the Fierce Deity would be heading, so I wouldn't have a problem finding him. The thing that disconcerted me the most was the fact that he could see through my facade.

There was truth in what the Fierce Deity had said.

Making up my mind, I left Castle Town and headed out into Hyrule Field, my destination the Forest Temple.

* * *

Shadow Hylian: As always, feedback is very much appreciated so review please.


	13. Of Taunting and Truths

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: The Rift has been closed, but the portal's radiation is infecting the Hero, changing him. I was my fault he was hurt and now I know what I must do. What I should have done from the beginning. Turn my heart to steel. Shink.

Shadow Hylian: Thank you to the people who reviewed last chapter. This chapter contains a warning; there is content of a sensitive nature in this chapter, mainly Kishin forcing his intentions on Sheik. Mildish stuff, but if you're uncomfortable with that skip over it. You have been warned. No flames.

Also, this is the definition of Fierce that I am characterising Kishin to, in case anyone thinks he's a bit OOC.

Fierce: untamed; cruel, fell, brutal; barbarous, bloodthirsty, murderous. Fierce, ferocious, truculent suggest vehemence and violence of temper, manner, or action.

**"Fierce Deity's speech"**

_**"Possessed Link's speech"**_

* * *

Chapter 13: Of Taunting and Truths

As I stepped into the Sacred Forest Meadow, the Fierce Deity was already there, as I knew he would be. He was following the same pattern that I had taken during the Imprisoning War.

The Forest Temple's warp tablet had already been destroyed and Kishin was leaning against the stone pillar that supported the temple's elevated entrance, turning over a golden triangular shard in his hand.

**"It's you again." **Kishin observed unenthusiastically, apparently not liking my presence as he stowed away the object. The Fierce Deity paused for a moment, before straightening up and stepping forward as he recited his version of the soliloquy.

**"Nothing is more cruel than the passage of time. You may think that you can control it or delay it's speed, but you can never escape it. The only things that do not change is a memory of younger days." **Kishin spoke.

**'But you already knew that, didn't you? **He was referring to the passage of time. Yes, it was cruel.

"You were right." though I was loathe to admit it.

**"Oh?"**

"...I have been avoiding the truth. That was the reason you got hurt."

_**"Sheik." **_Kishin sighed, rubbing his temples distractedly. The motion struck me, reminding me so clearly of Link that it made my heart skip. "**_How many times have I said that it doesn't matter? You hurt me more by acting like this."_**

"Link?" I asked starting towards him, desperately searching his expression. A spark of the Hero's personality had shone through if only for a moment.

He merely blinked at me, his gaze freezing over. "Link? Link, look at me." I spoke, panic rising. The Hero's personality was being repressed, Kishin was taking over again. I gently took hold of his head, my thumb stroking his cheek as I tried to encourage him to look into my eyes. I noticed that he was looking at me with an odd expression, but I ignored this as I stepped away, trying to gauge what had happened as I tore my worried gaze away, turning to leave.

**"Leaving so soon?" **Kishin inquired shrewdly, **"But you saw it, didn't you? You saw him in my eyes, just for a moment."**

"Let me speak to him." I asked, "Please, I need to see if he's okay."

**"I'm afraid that I cannot do that. You see, even if I hand the Hero back control of his mind at the moment, he won't be able to drive me out of his body." **Kishin stated, **"If, however, you were to tell him that you loved him in all your romantic mushiness, I am sure that he would be emboldened by your words and would somehow find the power to expel me from his mind. Or something." **he snorted, then laughed openly when he saw a split-second of hope flit across my features only to be replaced by the realisation that he was lying. He was taunting me for his own satisfaction.

**'That is what you want to hear, isn't it? You want to know how to get rid of me." **Kishin questioned, that self-satisfied smirk still present on his face. **"Well, you could try that if you wanted, but it won't work. The truth is, there is no way that he can get rid of me. And you do not have the power to forcibly remove me from his mind without causing injury to the Hero, so I guess I'm sticking around for a while..."**

"Just let him go!" I screamed, grabbing him by the collar in an expression of rage. "I know he's still fighting you!"

Kishin blinked, expression one of complete nonchalance. **"You know, this would be quite touching if it wasn't so pathetic."** He surveyed me for a moment before speaking again, **"Do you really think that if you get angry and rage that you believe in him, he'll be able to overthrow me? You really are a fool."**

"You bastard! Let him go!"

**"Fine, fine. Since I'm feeling generous, I'll give you what you want." **he spoke casually and before I could react, Kishin had seized me, pressing his lips to mine.

There was no warmth, no affection in his touch. The movement was cold, calculated and I knew that it was Kishin at the forefront of the Hero's mind.

"W-what the hell do you think you're doing?!" I gasped, caught off guard, completely appalled as I sprung away.

**"I would have thought that was pretty obvious..." **Kishin, _or was that the Hero? _purred, his breath dancing tantalisingly across my lips as he pulled me back into his embrace.

"Link, Kishin, snap out of it, you're not thinking straight." I spoke irritatedly, pushing away from him.

**"I can assure you I'm thinking clearly, Sheik..." **Kishin whispered close to my ear. **"It's still the Hero's body. Let's see if you feel nothing for him. Your mind may lie, but your body won't. Let's see how long you can deny it now..."**

"Kishin, let me go!" I demanded, trying to break the Fierce Deity's grip. Eventually, I managed to wrench free of his embrace and I strode away angrily. However, it seemed that Kishin was not that easily deterred.

The Fierce Deity roughly shoved me against the cold stone pillar, pinning my arms and pressing his mouth to mine, biting and bruising my lips as I tried to protest. I let out a muffled noise of surprise, trying to wriggle free of his strong grip, but he moved one hand to the side of my face, gripping my hair, clasping both my hands in his right palm and thrust his tongue into my mouth. I tried to pull my head back, to pull free as he drew closer, almost smothering me as he pressed the length of his body against mine.

My eyes widened. The Hero's encounter with the Time Vortex had obviously affected his mental state. It was Kishin who was making him act this way, it wasn't the Hero.

My eyes burned and I closed them tightly, trying to block out thought as Kishin nibbled on my jaw line, his breath tickling along my cheek.

"Kishin, let me go." I repeated, this time more calmly as I forced myself to remain detached, impassive, but I couldn't stop the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. "You've made your point, so please, just let me go."

**"Why?" **Kishin breathed, **"It's not as if you're complaining. And judging by the vibes he's sending me, your Hero isn't complaining either."** he smirked.

I hated myself for the way I leaned into his touch, reciprocating his kisses. It was not fair on the Hero, it was a two-way rape. Kishin was forcing both of us. Link wouldn't act this way if he was in control of his body.

I had to find a way to escape, but that was made difficult due to my close proximity to Kishin. He still had a firm grip on my arms and I was pinned against the pillar.

Biting his tongue might make him pull back long enough for me to get away. Actually, no, scratch that. If anything, it would encourage him even more; he would probably like it...

Thinking about it, I realised that the Hero was leaning into my upper body which left one obvious if not painful option that was sure to bring him out of his trance...

I swung my right knee upwards sharply in a swift motion, forcefully kneeing Kishin in the groin. He recoiled with a wince, buckling and I took the opportunity to swing my head forward, smashing my forehead into his brow and he staggered backwards.

I stepped away hastily, retreating to a safe distance as I watched the Fierce Deity cautiously. He looked up at me with venom, a twisted smile playing over his features as he stumbled towards me.

**"Bad move, Sheikah." **Kishin hissed, **"You really don't want to make an enemy of me."**

I backed away, watching his dangerous expression and I knew that I had to escape quickly. Scanning the area, I noticed there was the plant that bears Deku nuts growing around the clearing. These were the same seeds that the Sheikah used to seemingly appear and disappear at will. If I could get to them, I would be able to get away from him.

I ran to the plants, pulling off the small hard-shelled seeds, quickly infusing them with my magic so that they could be used as a teleportation device and slammed one to the ground, teleporting away in a flash of bright light.

* * *

(Link's P.O.V)

This place...it exudes nothing. No light, no dark, no solid ground, no sound, no movement. Nothing.

It feels as though I am bound, caged. I have no mobility to free myself.

I could see him, the other soul that was inhabiting my body, resting firmly at the forefront of my mind. My control was detached; I could still see through my eyes what I was doing, but I could only observe. It was like watching a piece of film, I could only watch as the events played out, unable to change or influence him in any way.

I could hear the words the one called Kishin spoke to him, see the immortal torment him.

It made my blood boil.

I fought against my bonds, trying to claw back control of my mind, but Kishin's vice-like grip on my soul was too strong. I wouldn't be able to drive him out in my current state. The Fierce Deity himself had said that he needed to gather the lost power in order to anchor his soul in my body permanently, and he had already collected two pieces.

All I could do was wait. I had a great affinity with time as my title suggests, and if I was right, Kishin also had an affinity with the same element. I would use that to my advantage. If I had no power of the body, then I would have to overpower Kishin's mind. The only problem was how.

I had heard long ago that memories held tremendous power, almost unrivalled in fact. It wouldn't be difficult to release memories; I would be able to erase them and convert them into power easily with the use of the Triforce I held in my left hand, but that was a power that I was reluctant to use.

How many of my memories would I need to lose in order to overthrow the Fierce Deity's hold on my mind? Then there was the problem of which memories I would lose. Even thought there was some memories I would rather forget, somehow I don't think that I would be able to choose which ones to erase and which ones to keep. It would be left to chance.

No. It would be too drastic. I would wait, place my trust in Sheik to find a way to help me before it came to that. If five of the six shards had been collected and there was no other option, then I would act.

For now, I would wait.

* * *

Shadow Hylian: To clarify, Kishin was trying it on with Sheik to prove a point. He's impatient with Sheik's denial and is not going to play mind games with him like Link would do.

As always, feedback is very much appreciated so review please.


	14. The Nature of Emotions

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: The Rift has been closed, but the portal's radiation is infecting the Hero, changing him. I was my fault he was hurt and now I know what I must do. What I should have done from the beginning. Turn my heart to steel. Shink.

Shadow Hylian: Thank you to the people who reviewed last chapter.

**"Kishin's speech"**

_"Link's communication with FD"_

* * *

Chapter 14: The Nature of Emotions

The breath was forced from my lungs as I slammed into the cobblestones, landing hard on my back. I grimaced as I rolled onto my side and unsteadily got to my feet, cursing my lack of concentration during the teleport.

Instead of the Castle grounds, which was my intended destination, I had landed in the centre of Castle Town market, gaining myself many suspicious glances from the people who passed by me.

It couldn't be helped, I supposed, and since I was being half-molested by Kishin at the time, I wasn't really fussy about where I ended up, so long as it put some distance between us.

Link...my pulse was still racing at a higher level than I would have liked. Kishin's actions had affected me greatly, not because I was particularly attracted to him, it was because, as Kishin had said, for all of his differences it was still the Hero's lips against mine, still his touch that I felt.

No. I halted that train of thought there before it derailed. It was dangerous to treat Kishin and Link as the same entity; I ran the risk of forgetting Kishin's intention of taking over the Hero's body. It would only complicate the situation between myself and the Hero even further; I wasn't entirely sure what I felt for link, but I couldn't deny that I was inexplicably drawn to him.

No, that wasn't exactly true; I did know what my feelings were for him, it was just that as a Sheikah the nature of emotions eluded me somewhat. Maybe it was due to the intangibility of emotions that kept me ignorant of my feelings for Link.

Emotions themselves have no form, no substance. Someone can tell you that they love you, but it's just words. There is nothing to support them. That may sound callous, but that was the way I saw it, in my simplified terms.

That is why Kishin's actions disconcerted me so much. When the Hero told me that he loved me, I had nothing to support that claim, and I had my doubts as to whether this was what he truly felt for me. Even though we kissed, it was for the purpose of saving his life. When Kishin was possessing him, however, it was different. Although he shocked me, I could taste his emotions, feel the raw need in his action and it hit home the feelings that I had overlooked.

* * *

Kishin grimaced as he straightened up, cursing the Sheikah and wondering where the red-eyed man had teleported to.

_"It serves you right, you bastard. You shouldn't have done that to him, you hurt him. You'll pay for what you've done!" _the Hero echoed in the Fierce Deity's mind. Kishin could almost feel the Hero clawing at the back of his mind, straining at his bonds.

**"Tell me, since you've decided to speak up, where do you think the Sheikah would have teleported to?"**

_"As if I'd tell you that."_ Link dismissed, _"You'll only hunt him down, like the monster that you are. I saw what you done to your home world. The Highest General of the Terminian armed forces, you led the extermination of the Ikanians and for what? The Ikanians were innocent, they hadn't even lifted a weapon against you, yet you cut them down with no mercy!_

**"Oh, looked into my memories, have we?"**

_"No wonder you were sealed away in the void, your soul is black to the core. You should have stayed in the hell you belong in!"_

**"Tell me where he teleported to." **Kishin repeated, ignoring the Hero.

_"No."_

**"Tell me. Unless...?"**

_"Unless what?"_

**"Unless...you want me to have another go with the Sheikah you're so smitten with. And who knows, this time I might not stop..."**

_"..." _the Hero paused and Kishin knew that he was biting back a retort.

**"Well? The clock's ticking, Hero."**

_"You promise to leave him alone if I tell you?" _Link asked, and after receiving a nod indicating that Kishin would do as he said, the Hero continued. _"He would have gone to see the Princess at the Castle. Sheik would have told the Princess Zelda about you and about the power that you are collecting."_

**"Very well, if that's the case I'll pay this Princess Zelda a visit."**

_"No, you can't. She already knows that the rift energy is poisoning me. By the time you get there, Sheik will have told her that you are possessing my body. She'll most likely imprison us if we go anywhere near the Castle."_

**"Hm...that is kind of a problem." Kishin mused, "Fine, I'll wait for the Sheikah at the Fire Temple and see what he has to say."**

* * *

(At Hyrule Castle)

"Did you find him?" Zelda asked.

"Y-yes." I spoke distractedly, thoughts straying back to Kishin.

"And? Is that it? What about the Sacred treasures, did you get them back?" Impa snapped impatiently and I had the impression that she was not impressed by my lack of concentration.

"No. He smashed them before I had the chance."

"The Ocarina and the Spiritual stones have been destroyed..?" Zelda's voice wavered slightly as she spoke. I almost felt sorry for the Princess; the legends and prophecies meant a lot to her and she had treasure them dearly.

"The Hero took the Ocarina with him. Only the Spiritual Stones were shattered." I spoke. I don't know why I was making the effort to console her. Maybe it was because I pitied her; her world revolved around the legends.

"There is something that you should know..." I began, trying to figure out how to word exactly what had happened. "The Hero...he is not himself. When he touched the void, another soul was pulled across from another dimension. This other entity is making him act out of his nature. He is not in control of his actions. When he stole the Royal treasures and destroyed them, he wasn't aware of what he was doing."

"Do not lie to protect him, Sheik." Impa spoke, her tone steely.

"I am not." I spoke, "You are aware that the portal crossed dimensions. This Fierce Deity is possessing him, it is the truth!"

"So...you are saying that the soul possessing the Hero's body is the reason for his out of character behaviour?"

"Yes, that seems to be the case." I stated.

"What do we know of this other soul?" Zelda questioned.

"He is titled the 'Fierce Deity', though he calls himself Kishin. He claims to be a swordsman from the land of Termina, an immortal, a war God. He told me that he needed top gather a lost power buried under the warp tablets at the Temples before he could anchor his soul in the Hero's body and he has already acquired two of the six parts."

"Why are you so certain of this? How can you be sure that this is not an effect of the void's poisoning? Answer me that, Sheik." Impa demanded.

"It's true. I can see it in his eyes." I murmured, and I saw the glances that the Princess and Impa exchanged from the corner of my eye. "I've saw the Hero gain dominance over Kishin hold on his mind, but it was only for a few seconds. Kishin is suppressing the Hero's control over his body. Since he is in control most of the time, he must have huge reserves of power to be able to embed his soul into a host, then suppress the host's own mind."

"How do you know that? How do you know that Kishin is the one on control?"

"He does not act the same, nor does he have the same mannerisms."

"I did not know that you were so close to the Hero, Sheik." her words almost sounded like an accusation. "Have you...become attached? You know that is forbidden."

"..."

"Answer me. Have you become involved in ways that you should not?"

* * *

Shadow Hylian: As usual, feedback is very much appreciated, so review please!


	15. The Secret is Out

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: The Rift has been closed, but the portal's radiation is infecting the Hero, changing him. I was my fault he was hurt and now I know what I must do. What I should have done from the beginning. Turn my heart to steel. Shink.

Shadow Hylian: Thank you to the people who reviewed last chapter.

* * *

Chapter 15: The Secret is Out

I held Impa's suspicious gaze unwaveringly, knowing that a slight motion would confirm her accusations.

Blinking or looking away would not be wise, but I also knew that it would be foolish to try and placate the Sheikah elder's suspicions. Saying nothing, however, would be just as bad. A stalemate. Great, just what I needed.

"…"

"Impa, did I not ask you to check the storerooms?" the Princess Zelda cut in swiftly. I frowned as did Impa, who turned towards the Princess questioningly. I had the impression that Zelda had made up that excuse on the spot.

"Your Highness?" Impa questioned, her brow furrowed.

"Leave us, Impa. I wish to speak with Sheik alone." Zelda's tone was firm, but she didn't sound particularly angry.

"As you wish, Highness." the Sheikah elder spoke before exiting.

The Princess waited until the door had snapped shut before approaching me and I was almost overwhelmed by the feeling of being trapped.

"I thought it would be best if Impa left us to speak alone." Zelda explained. It was a statement, but I was curious as to why she wanted me here.

"What do you wish to speak with me about, Princess?"

"Come now, Sheik. You should know exactly why I wanted to talk to you." Zelda chided gently, "I know you better than you think."

I frowned at that comment. "I am afraid I do not know what you mean, Highness."

"I am talking about the Hero, as you know fine well. I know you're worried about him…"

"He is my comrade. It is hardly abnormal to be concerned about his welfare." I stated icily, my expression stoic.

"For one of the supposed truth-seeing race, you act like a blind man."

"…"

"Protesting about being paired with him on the mission. Returning here in a blind panic when the Hero got hurt. Getting yourself into a state and blaming yourself for Link's injuries. Unable to stay by his bedside because of your guilt. Trying to act cold and distant towards him so that you wouldn't hurt him again. Trying to persuade me that the Hero is not in control of his actions, that he is not himself.'

'Need I keep going?" the princess reeled off calmly. "Sheik, I know." she spoke gently and I visibly tensed, desperately searching for some way to explain my actions, but my mind was resolutely blank. "Why else did I send you along with the Hero on that mission when Link was more than capable of going by himself?"

"So you were trying to force us together!" I couldn't help but blurt out stupidly and Zelda actually laughed at me. I wondered vaguely if the world had gone mad and numbly registered that my outburst had effectively rendered my excuses void.

I carefully observed the Princess expression, trying to gauge her reaction. "…You're not angry?" I hazarded the question, feeling that it was dangerous to voice it, "You're…not going to punish me?"

"Punish you? For what?"

"…"

"I've suspected it since I took your place at the Spirit Temple, you know. The way the Hero was looking at me, who he though was you…well, I would hardly call it platonic. And you had already told me with your own lips that he intrigued you. It wasn't difficult to work out, I simply put two and two together."

"…Who else knows?" I asked, shame weighing heavily in my mind.

"Well, I'm sure that Impa has worked it out." Zelda admitted and I groaned, imagining the consequences of becoming too involved with the Hero. "But you shouldn't worry yourself about her. I know it's against Sheikah rules to become emotionally involved with another, but Impa will not trouble you over this. Of that, you have my word."

"Why are you helping me?" I couldn't help but ask. I didn't think that the Princess looked upon my particularly favourably, so I was curious as to why she would go out of her way to aid me.

But the Princess just smiled sadly at me and replied. "Because I owe the both of you a favour.'

'However, and don't take this the wrong way, but it concerns Link." Zelda spoke, hesitating for a moment before continuing. "It's about the soul possessing the Hero's body. The Fierce Deity cannot be allowed to gather all of the shards and gain dominance over Link's mind. I'll let you deal with this on your own and use your own methods to stop the Fierce Deity from acquiring all of the shards.'

'If, however, you have not been able to stop him by the time he has gathered five out of the six shards, I will mobilise the Royal Guard to forcibly restrain him and bring the Hero back to the Castle so that we can exorcise the Fierce Deity from his body. Hopefully, it will not come to that." Zelda sighed, "Oh, and you'll need this." the Princess spoke, holding out her left palm and conjuring a sealing scroll into her palm with her right hand. "Just in case, okay?" She spoke as she handed the scroll over.

"What will it do?" I asked, examining the script along the length of the scroll.

"It will cause the Fierce Deity and the Hero's mind to forcibly separate, but I can't guarantee that it won't have side effects…"

"What side effects?" I questioned sharply and I saw the Princess shift slightly as though uncertain.

"Well, the enchantment works by ripping the implanted soul from the host's mind, so there could be damage to Link's mind if his and the Fierce Deity's mind have begun to intertwine."

"How much damage?"

"That is what I am uncertain of. That is why you must only use the scroll as a last resort. Only use it if the Fierce Deity is about to collect the last shard." she instructed firmly.

"I understand." I spoke, stowing away the scroll in my item pouch and knowing that I would never use it if I could help it.

"I wish you well on your journey. Good luck." the Princess addressed as she bade me goodbye.

"I'll keep you informed of my progress, Highness." I spoke, turning on me heel and exiting the room.

* * *

(At Death Mountain Crater. Kishin's P.O.V))

I saw the Hero's precious little Sheikah wander through the heat haze of the volcano's crater towards the opposite side of the bridge, where I stood leaning against one of the posts that supported the structure.

He looked troubled, I noticed as I saw Sheik approach the bridge and cross it, and it didn't look as though he acknowledged my presence or noticed me standing casually on the other side at all.

When he looked up, the look on his face was priceless. The way the realisation spread over the Sheikah's face as he gaped at me, almost as though he couldn't believe that I had beaten him to the warp tablet.

I couldn't help but smirk at his expression.

**"Three shards down, three to go."** I spoke, turning the fragment over in my hand deliberately so that he could see that I had gained another of the shards.

"How did you manage to beat me here?" Sheik asked somewhat irritatedly.

**"Well, for one, I didn't stop to chat with the people I met along the way."** I spoke, **"By the way, how was Princess Zelda? Is she keeping well?"**

"How did you know I met with the Princess?" the Sheikah's tone was suspicious, guarded.

**"Oh, you know. Being in the Hero of Time's head has it's advantages. He predicted you'd go see her." **

I watched the Sheik's expression with interest. It was actually quite endearing the way that the Sheikah was visibly holding back, trying so hard to distance himself and yet still attempting to save the Hero, convincing himself that it was his duty. I would have called it cute if it wasn't for the fact that the Sheikah would probably let me have it again if I ever referred to him in such an emasculate way.

I put that though to the side as I approached where Sheik stood, a mask of indifference on his face as he stared back at me, his posture rigid. I wanted to test him, to make that mask slip away. I knew how he felt for the Hero and it was only a matter of time before he gave in.

**"It is something that grows and strengthens over time. A true bond. A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger over time and through it you will know which path to take."** I circled around behind him, leaning over his shoulder as I murmured the words into his ear, **"the Bolero of Fire is dedicated to the power of the heart."**

I saw the Sheikah step back suddenly as though unnerved, unease showing on his face. I searched through my item pouch, looking for the cerulean blue instrument and brought the Ocarina of Time to my mouth and playing the distinct eight note rhythm of the Bolero of Fire.

* * *

Shadow Hylian: And now, I need to be the bearer of bad news. Unfortunately, since I'm starting back Uni, I'll need to go on hiatus for the next 3 months or so. The next chapter should be up around late December-ish. Sorry, folks, sometimes that's just how things work out.

As usual, feedback is very much appreciated, so review please!


	16. Bolero

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: The Rift has been closed, but the portal's radiation is infecting the Hero, changing him. I was my fault he was hurt and now I know what I must do. What I should have done from the beginning. Turn my heart to steel. Shink.

Shadow Hylian: After 3 months, severe writer's block and frequent cursing over the fact that I found this chapter nigh on impossible to write, here's chapter 16.

Readers may also be interested to know that this fic is not going back on hiatus, as it's likely to fade into obscurity if I put it on hold again.

* * *

Chapter 16: Bolero

I listened as the speed of the Bolero heightened and grew louder, almost matching the rhythmically thundering sound of my heartbeat. I couldn't stop the blood rushing to my face at the obvious passion contained in the melody, unconsciously relating the soliloquy back to the Hero and I, and again I cursed the lack of my cowl.

The Bolero was a potent memory for me. It was the point that I realised that I was becoming dangerously close to the Hero, and I couldn't help but feel that Kishin was playing upon this, a crude re-enactment of my memories and it angered me that he was able to manipulate both the Hero and myself on a psychological level.

The Fierce Deity stowed away the Ocarina and smirked at me, a self-satisfied expression that did nothing to stem my anger. **"What's wrong, Sheik? Still willing to deny it?" **

"W-why are you doing this?" I spoke, "It's got nothing to do with you or the shards. Why are you insisting upon this?!"

**"Surely you mean 'why are you insisting that I love him?'"**Kishin countered,** "Or can't you even say it?"**

"You know nothing about us! You don't know anything!"

**"You're forgetting that I can look into the Hero's mind."**Kishin drawled,** "I know what he feels for you, and he knows you better than anyone. You've told him before that you love him. Or did you just say that because you thought he was dying?"**

"Of course I didn't!"

**"Yet you still insist on denying it."**Kishin's tone was mocking, as though he was enjoying my torment. **"I don't know what's more pathetic. A Sheikah, blind to the truth; or the fact that he knows it, but is still running away."**

"Why do you care anyway?! You want to destroy him so that you can take over his body!"

****

"Being trapped in the void for 3000 years is pretty dull, so I figured that now I have the chance to amuse myself a bit, I may as well screw your lives over in the process."

That comment made me lose all patience, my reasoning abandoning me as I started forward angrily with my fist raised, intent on destroying the smug look on the Fierce Deity's face.

In my haste, I had forgotten that Kishin possessed much more physical strength than I. He easily stopped my punch from landing and seized my wrists, immobilising me. I tried to pull away, twisting my wrists in the hope of breaking his grip but he was too strong.

**"What's wrong? Did I hit a nerve?"**Kishin was openly laughing at me now, taking satisfaction in the fact that he was able to provoke me so easily.

"You bastard!" I screamed, trying to get free so that I could attack him again. "Let me go!"

**"Now, now. There's no use in fighting me. If you attack this body, all you do is hurt the Hero."** the Fierce Deity spoke and pulled me forward sharply, **"But you already knew that, didn't you?"** his voice was now whispering into my ear and I tried to retreat as I heard the sinister edge to his voice.** "You could end this so easily if you wanted to. To destroy me, you need to destroy him. You know that it would be for the greater good. You possess a weapon, and you know that this body would not deny you."**

I feared Kishin's actions as his hand closed around the hilt of the concealed blade that was strapped to my lower back, and I tensed as he unsheathed it, taking one of my hands into his own and curled my fist around the handle. **"You know that it is the right thing to do..."** he raised the blade, hovering the weapon in the space between us, the sharp metal edge held horizontally at neck level with the cutting edge directed towards the Hero.

The sickening realisation of what Kishin was intending to do came when I looked into his blank eyes and saw that he was serious. **"It's the only way to save him, Sheik."** the Fierce Deity watched my expression carefully as he spoke, his fist clamped around mine in an iron grip moved the blade higher, my efforts to try and pull the weapon away seemingly in vain as he moved the blade to just below the Hero's right temple, resting on it's point. **"Do you know how much it hurts to have another soul possessing your body?"**I found Kishin's conversational tone disturbing; his voice held no indication of his train of thought, I couldn't predict his actions...

"Kishin, don't..." I tried to pull my hand away as I saw scarlet bleed from the blade's contact point, but Kishin's strength made it impossible for me to move my arm.

**"It's pain beyond comprehension, pain that no mortal should be able to endure..."** the blade was drawn down slowly, the metal edge following the contours of the Hero's cheekbone, cutting a curved arc into the skin beneath his eye, scarlet seeping from the crude line and running down the Hero's face.

"Stop! You're hurting him!" the scream ripped from my throat, my voice hoarse and strained as I fought against the tears welling in my eyes.

**"My possession is killing him. The longer I stay anchored in his soul, the more he suffers."** another line was drawn below the first, letting the blood flow from the wound before moving to the other side.

"Stop it!" I screamed, knowing that it was a stalemate. I was powerless. If I tried to pull the blade away, I might cut the Hero. "Please, stop!" I breathed shallow and uneven as Kishin's vice-grip on my hand brought the blade to the other temple

**"It was you who hurt him, Sheik."**Kishin's blank eyes and bloodstained face hovered inches from mine, bearing a feral look as he drew the blade down, repeating the dual line pattern on the other side of the Hero's face. **"Your indecision is killing him."**

I didn't know what words would convince him to stop hurting the Hero. For one of the first times in my life, I felt completely helpless, unable to do or say anything that would make him stop.

**"Make your choice."**the Fierce Deity growled and I found his tone threatening as Kishin leered at me, his cruel blank eyes seeming to bulge from their sockets as he grinned manically. The blood seeping from the face markings that he had carved into the Hero's face was running down his face, the scarlet dripping from his chin and staining his white-blonde bangs a vivid crimson making him look truly psychotic.

He looked beyond reason.

Kishin brought the blade to his mouth, flicking his tongue out and slowly licking the blood from the weapon in an obscene gesture, his eyes never leaving mine and I flushed at the strong sexual connotations of this movement.

**"How far will you go to save him? How much will you sacrifice?"**Kishin forced the blade into my hands, his bloody hand-prints still on the handle and he stepped away to leave.

As I looked at my scarlet-stained hands coloured with the blood of the Hero, the blade slipped through my fingers and as I stared blankly, numbly acknowledging the fact that it was by my hand that the Hero had been hurt, my legs buckled underneath me and I slumped to the ground as that thought lingered in my mind.

**"Next time we meet, be able to face me without running from the truth."** the Fierce Deity's tone was clipped, disdainful. **"I have no doubt that I'll see you again."**Kishin spoke as he unsheathed the Double Helix Sword, using the blade's magical power as a medium to teleport and he warped out of Death Mountain Crater with a gust of magically charged energy, leaving me dazed and confused, the ground seeming to sway beneath me as I sat, trying to take in what had happened.

---

The thoughts kept turning over in my mind.

He was right. I run from the truth, continually deny that I feel anything for you yet I know that it is all a façade.

Of course I would listen to you, watch over you. It was my job to do so, after all. I had to make sure that your adventure wasn't becoming too mentally taxing. It would not do if the Hero's mind was shattered before his quest was complete.

Even though I knew I was becoming drawn to you, I was a Sheikah so I had to suppress my emotions. I had my orders. I was too guide you, watch over and protect you. A psychological support that you could lean on if the burden of your adventure was becoming too heavy.

There was no place for me to love you in that equation.

You started off as an assignment, but you became so much more to me. Didn't you realise that I stayed longer each time we met?

Waiting for your return after the Water Temple had been purified...Staying by your side until you awakened after the Shadow Beast attacked you from the well in Kakariko. It was not my orders, but I stayed to see if you were okay.

Maybe it was because I wanted to rebel against the bonds of my Blood Oath that caused me to be drawn to you.

I still remember it as though only a day had passed...

I can remember being distinctly unimpressed by you when you descended back into this realm. I wrote you off like all the other greenhorn youths who had believed they could be the Hero, not realising it at the time how different you were to them.

You, with your illustrious cerulean eyes and golden hair framing your face, were so much more than all the others who had tried and failed to pull the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time. You shone like the sun.

The only reason that I didn't forget about you when you returned to your original time was that the Princess' meddling with time had created a link between the past and the present; an endless paradox.

Even now it still repeats, though we don't realise it. We meet again, only to be separated.

I don't know why I continue to play this dangerous game of fate and half-truths. I should have learned by now that it achieves nothing.

But the rules were clear.

She had given me the choice of either letting me stay by your side in exchange for your memories, or regressing back to the shadows and allowing you to keep them.

I chose selfishly.

I chose to leave, to let you keep the time most treasured by me for my own selfish reasons. I wanted you to retain your memories so that you would acknowledge me if I found you again.

I can't help but wonder if what Kishin said was true. I know the truth, but I continue to run away from it...

Sometimes, during your adventures in the seven years of the Evil King's reign, I wanted to tell you how I felt but...I couldn't. I still can't.

I'm afraid of what will happen, so much so that I pretend I don't care, locking away my emotions because I know that the moment I tell you I love you, it's over. It doesn't matter how close we are...

So I lie, I run away. It's the only way for me to protect you...

My bloodstained hands, the result of wounds that I wasn't able to prevent inflicting upon you are proof that I only hurt you.

Kishin was right. However radical his way of conveying this to me had been, there was truth in what the Fierce Deity said. The more I hesitate and refuse to act, the more I hurt you.

Again, the fault is mine. It was my indecision that caused you harm, my inability to act without having to process every detail.

No more hesitation.

If I was to save you, I would need to arrive at the next warp point and retrieve the shard before Kishin did. If Kishin was collecting the shards in order, then the next warp point, the next place that the Fierce Deity was heading for was Lake Hylia.

The Water Temple warp tablet.

* * *

Shadow Hylian: Feedback is very much appreciated, so review please!


	17. Ice Cavern

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: The Rift has been closed, but the portal's radiation is infecting the Hero, changing him. I was my fault he was hurt and now I know what I must do. What I should have done from the beginning. Turn my heart to steel. Shink.

Shadow Hylian: Thank you to the people who reviewed last chapter.

* * *

Chapter 17: Ice Cavern

He wasn't here.

As I crossed the rope bride to the centre of Lake Hylia, I noticed that the Fierce Deity had not yet arrived. The warp tablet remained intact and there was no other indication that Kishin had dug up the shard buried beneath it.

I wanted to question why he hadn't beaten me here, even though he had left Death Mountain Crater much earlier that I, but the advantage of getting to the warp tablet before Kishin was more important. I didn't want to delay, lest the Fierce Deity catch up to me before I could unearth the shard.

Taking out the small knife strapped to my back, I dropped to my knees and begun hacking away at the warp tablet, driving the blade into the stone with erratic, desperate motions trying to crack the centre of the structure.

The tablet begun to crack under my repeated stabbing motions, and I discarded the knife, using my hands to sift through the rubble instead, not caring that the sharp stone edges were cutting my fingers, scratching the skin as I clawed through the stone fragments.

A small glittering caught my eye, a tiny spark of light from within the dust and rock and I dislodged it from within the wreckage, taking it into my hand. The fragment was shaped like a worn and rounded triangle with it's corners slightly eroded at the edges; it glittered gold shining brightly against my cold fingers and I curled my fist tightly around the precious object, breathing a sigh of relief.

I waited for the Fierce Deity's arrival, content in the fact that I had managed to secure one of the shards that the Fierce Deity needed in order to complete the possession.

---

Night had long since fallen, and still the Fierce Deity did not show. As I sat by the lone tree beside the warp tablet on Lake Hylia's island, turning the golden shard over in my hand, I began to grow concerned by Kishin's absence, wondering if I had overlooked something important.

Then I realised it.

The meeting at Lake Hylia was different from all the other times that I'd met the Hero during his adventure. I had always met the Hero at the temple's warp tablet when I taught him the songs, but the Serenade of Water had been taught at the Ice cavern. The only time that I'd seen him at Lake Hylia was after he'd cleansed the Water Temple.

I had simply overlooked that detail, but what puzzled me more was why the Fierce Deity had not approached the warp tablet before me. If he'd wanted to trick me, why not send me the other way while he collected the shard? Or could it be that he was waiting in ambush, planning to silence me after I had dug the shard up?

I couldn't understand it. If the Fierce Deity was planning an ambush, then he had to be nearby, but I could sense no other presence around me as I looked around agitatedly, straining my ears for any sound of movement.

I knew that the answers would be at the Ice Cavern where the Fierce Deity would likely be waiting, but I had the impression that I would be walking into a trap. I didn't think that it was wise to go to him with one of the shards that he needed in my possession.

But I couldn't stall much longer. So much had happened because I refused to act, and even if it was a deception, there was the chance that I could use this opportunity to help the Hero.

I made my decision and took off in the direction of the Ice Cavern.

---

Kishin was waiting for me as I expected, arm folded and leaning back against the cavern wall idly, watching my every movement as I walked towards him.

**"Did it really take you so long to get here?"** Kishin asked snidely, **"I though you would have figured it out before this."**

"If you've been waiting here for so long, why didn't you reach the warp tablet before me and take the shard?" I asked the question that was concerning me the most, surveying him seriously as I approached where he stood.

**"Hmm?" **The Fierce Deity observed me interestedly, as if I held some source of amusement for him and I couldn't help but feel that he was toying with me.

"I was able to get the Water Temple's shard before you this time. I had to go looking for you." I toughened my resolve, trying to detaching myself from the situation, but I couldn't help the anger that welled in my heart.

**"No you didn't." **Kishin corrected, his familiar smirk in place. **"I let you arrive before me. I let you collect that shard."**

"Don't be ridiculous. You were nowhere to be found. If you let me collect that shard, you would have been nearby so that you could confirm that I had it."

**"You _are_ correct. But do you think that _I_ would let _you_ act out with my control?"** The Fierce Deity sneered, **"I figured you would need an incentive to keep going, so I fooled you into believing that you were one step ahead of me this time."** his expression was superior, knowing that it would cause me distress.

"..." The comment caught me off guard. The one advantage I thought I had was another tactic of the Fierce Deity's, a ruse that made me act exactly as he had planned.

I felt uncertain how to proceed.

"Fine, so I acted the way you expected me to." I countered, deciding to change tact. "But I still have the shard that you need. You can't complete the possession without it."

**"What makes you think that I can't take the shard from you just now?"** the Fierce Deity asked coolly, surveying my reaction with a steady gaze.

"I won't let you take it from me." I glared at him, trying to convey my absolute seriousness. "I won't let you hurt him anymore."

**"How predictably cliché"** the Fierce Deity's disdain was obvious. **"Tell me...If you keep insisting that you don't care for him, then why are you trying to save him?"** Kishin asked,** "Out of obligation, or do you just want to get your leg over?"**

That was it. My composure snapped before I'd registered it and I lunged towards him with my fist drawn back. Kishin did not flinch as I seized the collar of his tunic, nor did he so much as blink as I brought my fist towards his face.

But I couldn't hurt him.

"You don't understand _anything_!" my resolve buckled, my fist falling to collide with his chest. "Of course it's because I love him!"

****

"Then why-"

"Why am I being like this?! Because I've already proven that I don't deserve him!" making the mistake of challenging the Fierce Deity, of leaning into his attack range. I hadn't realised the danger I was putting myself in by being within his grasp.

Kishin thrust his head forward before I could react, ramming his skull into mine, and the force of the collision knocked me off balance. Before I could fall back, he seized the front of my clothing, and the glare that he gazed at me was nothing less than demonic.

The pain and shock from his attack left me shaken, my body felt limp as a dull ache settled in my head, making me dizzy, disorientated, but I tightened the grip on the shard held in my right hand. I couldn't let him have it...

The Fierce Deity shifted, pivoting to the right and slammed my back against the cavern wall. The force of his action drew the breath from my lungs, and I grimaced in pain as my skin was scraped against the sharp edges of the cavern wall.

**"Let me tell you a story, Sheik." **Kishin growled, his tone deadly and the vice-like grip he held me was turning his knuckled white with anger. I felt that it was a threat, a display of anger that was intended to unsettle me.

**"Once upon a time, the Hero met a Sheikah and fell in love. He loved everything about him, grew closer to him at every meeting and felt a pang of sadness when the Sheikah departed, fading back into the shadows."**

"..."

**"The Hero summoned his legendary courage, gathering his resolve as he planned to confess his feelings, but when the time came at the final meeting, the little bastard betrayed him and broke his heart."** The Fierce Deity held me more forcefully against the wall, and I could feel pain in my chest as he compressed my ribcage against the ice.

"Kishin, stop-" I knew what the Fierce Deity was doing, understood that it was an attempt to hurt me, but that didn't lessen the pain that I felt seeing Link say those things with such a heartbreaking voice.

Blank orbs met scarlet and, for a moment I thought I saw cerulean stir within their depths. His grip on me tightened and I flinched at the gesture. The intensity of Kishin's gaze frightened me somewhat, but it was the look of hurt over his features, like the mask of the Fierce Deity's tainted soul had been stripped away and I was looking at Link properly for the first time since he's been poisoned by Kishin's soul, that struck me the most.

At that moment, he was so different than Kishin, exactly like his old self. It affected me so deeply that I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.

"Link, I-"

****

"The Hero had been tricked, made a fool of by the Sheikah and the Princess who was masquerading as him, and was sent back through time to a past that he hated now that his role had been completed and he no longer served a purpose.'

"Link..." I spoke reproachfully, feeling his raw words chipping away at the unfeeling, stoic persona that I worked so hard to hold onto. He released me quickly, and I hated the angry expression on his face. "I don't intentionally try to spite you." I tried to explain, wanting him to believe my sincerity. "I**-**I'm sorry." my eyes burned, "I don't hurt you on purpose. I wanted to help you." I tried to make him listen but The Fierce Deity continued undeterred.

****

"The Hero never complained, he never did, and he found the truth seven years later.'

I couldn't look away when the Hero's eyes held such clarity, the faded blue irises almost demanding that I answer him, but that was not the only thing that kept me fixated, unable to break eye contact. The emotion in his eyes was so strong, the shimmering flecks of cerulean seemed to burn as they drifted in a sea of blank white...

**"The Sheikah apologised and the Hero believed in his explanations, forgiving him far too quickly than he should have, but he cared for the Sheikah too deeply to realise it.'** Kishin's voice quietened as he spoke.

I was weeping now; I couldn't stop the tears spilling from my eyes as I knew that the savage, vindictive comments that he was saying were true.

****

"Even now, the little Sheikah still hurts him. The Hero was a fool to think that he would have changed, that the Sheikah would be able to accept the truth. The simplest question in the world and you still can't answer it, can you?!"

"I've told you before that I-"

**"You can't accept it"** he spoke detachedly, **"Does it take rage for you to say these things? Look me in the eye and tell me the truth."** his voice lowered to a growl, taking my chin in his hand and raising my eyes to meet his, focusing my attention.

My eyes closed in defeat, tears streaming down my face. Humiliation set in and I bowed my head, allowing my bangs to fall over my eyes, shielding me from his resolute, burning gaze.

As I continued to avoid his gaze, the Hero gently shook my chin in an effort to get me to look at him.

**"Don't think I'm going to just let it go if you don't answer." **he spoke quietly, leaning close to my ear, **"I don't give up so easily, Sheik."** his breath fell gently across my face and I felt my eyes flutter shut at the motion, heat rising up my cheekbones.

"T-the thing that's important to me..." I began, "I-it's you. It's only ever been you." My lips parted as he pulled back, piercing me with that same illustrious look in his eyes and, for once I acted without thinking it through. I bridged the gap between us, grabbing onto the Hero's collar as I pulled him closer and pressed my lips to his.

"I love you, Hero."

* * *

Shadow Hylian: I had great difficultly with the kiss in this chapter, mainly because it was the first time that Sheik initiated it. They ended up being deadlocked in a kind of staring contest XD. I was going to cut it from the chapter, but I was able to fix it and, hopefully, it worked well(?)

Kishin is also rapidly becoming my favourite character. His personality's different to the other characters, so it's great fun writing him.

As usual, feedback is very much appreciated, so review please.


	18. Possession

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: The Rift has been closed, but the portal's radiation is infecting the Hero, changing him. I was my fault he was hurt and now I know what I must do. What I should have done from the beginning. Turn my heart to steel. Shink.

Shadow Hylian: Thank you to the people who reviewed last chapter. The first half of this chapter is Kishin's p.o.v, then it switches. Just incase anyone is confused by that.

* * *

Chapter 18: Possession

(Kishin's P.O.V)

It was almost too easy to manipulate him. The poor little bastard didn't even realise it as he sobbed his heart out, clinging onto me as though he was afraid that the Hero would disappear.

It was pathetic. Sheik had his arms wrapped tightly around my neck, face buried in my shoulder as he murmured words of apology over and over. Even though I was repulsed by the Sheikah degrading himself like this, I could feel the Hero's consciousness stir at the back of my mind. I felt the way that it affected him; a tightening sensation in the Hero's chest as though his heart was weighed down, and I couldn't stop the constricting feeling in my throat as the emotion washed over me.

The Hero's mind and mine were growing closer, mingling and intertwining which was what I intended to happen. If the Hero's mind was linked with mine, then it made it difficult to separate each consciousness; I would be anchored more deeply in the Hero's body and it would become more dangerous to forcibly exorcise my mind from his without tearing apart the host's mind in the process.

But this also had it's disadvantages. Being anchored inside a foreign body essentially meant that I took on all of the Hero's weaknesses, fears and all the things that he felt. Even if the Hero's Sheikah got in the way, this body subconsciously stopped me from physically hurting him to a life-threatening degree. I couldn't eliminate him.

I was restricted by what the Hero felt for him.

"Let me go." the words were spoken in a deadly calm voice.

"W-what?" Sheik pulled back to look me in the eyes, hands resting across my shoulders, confusion spreading across his features.

"I said get the hell off me!" my anger flared suddenly and I grabbed him by the wrists, holding my arms out straight, forcing his touch away from me.

"Link, what's wrong?" the Sheikah asked worriedly, eyes searching mine, but a small glittering light from within Sheik's curled hand caught my eye.

One of the shards.

I shifted my weight, moving to pin my forearm pressing against Sheik's windpipe, grappling with the hand that held the shard, trying to pry open his clenched right fist, but the Sheikah wouldn't relinquish it. It meant to much for Sheik to give up the shard without fighting for it, but I had no interest in playing the Sheikah's games.

My time was too valuable to waste on such things. I needed to distract the Sheikah, to incapacitate him in some way that would allow me the time I needed to complete the first phase of anchoring my possession of the Hero.

The Sheikah was being held forcefully against a hard solid surface; the ice wall of the cavern was perfect. I again seized Sheik, grabbing him by the shoulders and bringing his body as far away from the wall as was possible before slamming him back against the ice with all the strength that I could muster.

He tried to hold back the scream, but I could still hear the muffled grimace of pain and I let him go, watching as he slumped to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

The Sheikah would pose no further threat. The force of the impact would render him unconscious for a while, I noted as I picked up the shard that had fallen from Sheik's hand, looking at it carefully. I now had the time that I needed to anchor my possession, and four of the six shards were now mine.

* * *

Kishin took out the other three shards that he'd already collected, placing them on his open palm beside the newly acquired fourth piece. He had gathered one half of the Triforce's lost power, but it could not be used in this form.

The Fierce Deity summoned his magic power in his outstretched palm. As he gathered his strength, the shards began to rise, hovering slightly above his hand, beginning to glow, resonating as they revolved, drawing closer together and combining in a blinding flash of white light, forming a perfect inverted triangle.

The missing segment of the Triforce.

The Fierce Deity could feel the power radiating from the Triangle and tried to control the manic grin that was forming on his face, realising that he still needed a way to absorb the triangle into his body.

Kishin placed the triangle over the part of the Hero's body that caused the most problems; the part that the Hero still held control over.

His heart.

As the comfortingly warm surface touched against the cloth of his tunic, the Fierce Deity could feel the power of the object seep through to his skin. Kishin concentrated his magical energy, his power allowing him to absorb the golden triangle, the object seeming to melt into his chest as he took it into his body, the outline of the triangle branded on his chest.

Kishin gasped as the energy washed over him, mind almost dizzy as he felt himself gain further control over the Hero's body. The raw energy that the missing piece of the Triforce held was phenomenal, but the Fierce Deity knew that, of course. After all, he was the former master of this part of the Triforce before he turned from his path and became outcast, losing the divine power in the process.

It was his punishment. The Triforce piece that he had commanded had been fragmented, scattered across dimensions so that he could not recover it.

But now, he once again held half of his true power. Only two shards now remained until the possession was complete. At this point, the Hero would have to display an extraordinary amount of willpower to be able to claw back control of his body on his own, but that did not mean that the Fierce Deity could rest easy.

He would take no chances.

Sparing a cursory glance at the Sheikah collapsed on the floor, Kishin stepped over him without thought as he intended to leave the cavern, summoning his magical energy as he prepared to teleport.

But he hadn't noticed that Sheik hadn't been knocked fully unconscious. He had been waiting for this moment, and as the Fierce Deity began to disappear, the Sheikah latched onto his ankle, using his own magic to interfere with the teleportation and was able to teleport along side Kishin as he attempted to escape.

---

The Fierce Deity and the Sheikah landed hard on the rough edged stone entranceway of the Desert Colossus where the teleport had deposited them. Whether it was luck or not, Sheik had lost balance when the teleport had dropped them at the Spirit Temple and had fallen to the right, into the sand. He was nearer to the warp tablet than Kishin, and this was an opportunity that he couldn't give up.

Sheik scrambled to his feet, trying to rush towards the warp tablet, to reach the shard before Kishin did. But the Fierce Deity was too quick for him, and Sheik's mind was still throbbing in pain, making it difficult to concentrate on his goal.

He would pass him easily if Sheik did not act.

Sheik had recognised the change that had come over the Hero since Kishin had absorbed the last segment of the Triforce into the Hero's body; he had felt the Fierce Deity's aura increase dramatically, as though Kishin's magical power had multiplied tenfold by doing so.

Kishin had to be stopped before he gained any further strength, before the final two shards fell into the Fierce Deity's grasp.

Pretending to stumble, Sheik quietly fell to his knees as he unsheathed the blade strapped to his back, waiting for Kishin to step by him and, as the Fierce Deity moved past his tensed form, he sprung up, plunging the blade of the knife into Kishin's right calf.

A scream tore from the Fierce Deity's throat as his legs buckled under the pain and Sheik couldn't stop the pang of guilt that he felt by deliberately hurting the Hero as he pulled the blade out and hurried to his feet, continuing towards the warp tablet base.

Sheik concentrated only on the shard buried beneath the stone as he reached its location, dropping to his knees and beginning to hack away at the substance, trying not to listen to the curses the Fierce Deity was hissing as he limped towards the Sheikah, leaving a bloody trail in the desert sand.

As Sheik continued to break and loosen parts of the stone tablet, he cleared the debris, moving all the large section of rock and tossing them over his shoulder so that he could scrabble at the dirt in the hopes of finding the shard.

The sound of him frantically searching through the rubble prevented him hearing the Fierce Deity's approach from behind. He didn't sense that Kishin had moved towards him or hear the sound of a large stone fragment being lifted.

Seeing the golden hue of the shard illuminated by the sun distracted Sheik. He didn't notice as the Fierce Deity lifted the stone fragment over his head, bringing it down in one fell swoop to collide with the Sheikah's skull, his vision fading to black as he was knocked out.

---

The Fierce Deity discarded the bloodied implement idly, looking down at scarlet liquid that was staining the back of the Sheikah's bandaged head, **"You stabbed me, you little bastard."** and he kicked the Sheikah hard in the ribs, turning him over like a rag doll in the process.

He easily found the curved golden shard lying in the sand and took hold of it, examining the object carefully before placing it in his pocket and preparing to teleport.

Only one shard left, he thought as he disappeared in a flurry of magical energy. The last remaining fragment of the lost power would be the place where everything ended and began anew.

The Shadow Temple.

* * *

Shadow Hylian: As usual, feedback is very much appreciated, so review please.


	19. Harsh Realities

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: The Rift has been closed, but the portal's radiation is infecting the Hero, changing him. I was my fault he was hurt and now I know what I must do. What I should have done from the beginning. Turn my heart to steel. Shink.

Shadow Hylian: Thank to the people who reviewed the last chapter. Okay, so here's number 19, the second last chapter!

**"Fierce Deity speech"**

__

**"Possessed Link Speech"**

* * *

Chapter 19: Harsh Realities

Impa looked down at the Sheikah sprawled in the sand. It was good judgement of the Princess to have foreseen the difficulties that Sheik would face and had ordered Impa to slip a gossip stone around Sheik's neck the last time they had met, meaning that they could track the Sheikah's progress.

This was also the reason that they could find Sheik so easily, and it was fortunate that they did. As the Sheikah elder knelt beside Sheik, easing his unconscious form into a half-sitting position, she un-bottled a fairy, watching the creature circle around Sheik's body in a flurry of red dust, healing his wounds.

---

"Impa?" I asked blinking my eyes and seeing the Sheikah elder crouched beside me, my thoughts still sluggish, pain still disorienting my mind. "W-what are you doing here?" I staggered to my feet, swaying a little until my eyes focused properly.

"Aside from saving your life, did you think that the Princess would leave you to handle such a dangerous task by yourself, with no way of getting in contact?" Impa's tone was truthful. So much weighed on my success in this mission; it was obvious that the Princess Zelda would need to keep tabs on me, though I'd been too preoccupied to realise this. "I slipped this round your neck the last time we met, just in case you ran into difficulties." she spoke, holding the gossip stone aloft. "Here." she put the cord over my neck again, and I tucked the stone away safely.

I could tell by the Sheikah elder's stance that there was more that Impa wanted to speak to me about, but she seemed to be holding back from saying what she truly intended. "What's the status so far?" she asked carefully and I knew she was watching me closely, waiting to see if my emotions would betray me.

"Five of the six shards are in the possession of the Fierce Deity. He is currently at half-possession, and has already set off towards the Shadow Temple." My voice fell back into rigid formality as I tried to remain detached, trying not to think of how I had allowed Kishin to progress so far by my own stupidity. "I have been largely unsuccessful in my pursuit to stop him."

"I see." Impa's tone suggested that she was attempting to reserve judgement on my failing. "I know you don't want to hear this, Sheik." the Sheikah elder changed tact, as she spoke, "but you've had the scroll that would have stopped the Fierce Deity in your possession for some time. Why haven't you used it?"

"…I decided not to use that method if I could avoid it."

"Do you really think that you have the luxury of deciding when to stop the completion of the Fierce Deity' possession because you do not have the resolve to see it through?!"

"If I use the scroll, I'll be ripping the Hero's mind apart. I will not take that risk." I turned sharply to face my superior, "That is my final decision on the matter."

"Memories can be regained." Impa rebounded in a steely tone, "You have been given your orders by her Highness. You should know what holds more priority, Sheik."

"I can't forsake him."

"You no longer have that option." Impa spoke firmly, "That right has been lost ever since you allowed the possession to progress so far. By now, at eighty-five percent of the possession completed, it is unlikely that you will be able to stop the Fierce Deity taking hold over the Hero's body by sheer force of will alone. The scroll is now your only option."

She spoke the truth. Since Kishin had absorbed half of the lost power into the Hero's body and had gained fifty percent of Link's mind, I had known that it would be increasingly difficult to reach the Hero's consciousness.

I had known this, yet I was unwilling to accept that I was running out of options.

There was no choice now. I would have to destroy him, losing the Hero at the same time.

"I am sorry, Sheik. But the Fierce Deity must be stopped, even if the price paid is the loss of the Hero of Time." Impa explained, "It must be done for the greater good." she spoke, and I felt as if the ground had given way beneath me. Guilt and self hate welled in the pit of my stomach as the implication of what I would have to do registered in my mind.

I was being ordered to kill the Hero.

"Here, take these." Impa held out a small drawstring pouch. I accepted the bag and opened it, finding that it contained a number of Deku Nuts for teleportation usage.

I teleported away without another reply.

* * *

As I arrived into the centre of Kakariko, it was to see the village up in flames. In a bizarre re-enactment of the Imprisoning War, it appeared that the Fierce Deity had set the former Sheikah settlement alight, burning it to the ground in a display of his power.

I could only assume that Kishin had done this to link the previous Shadow Temple meeting with this one. I realised that it was a tactic to harm me emotionally, a way of making me remember the events of the previous meeting during the Imprisoning War.

------

Kishin was waiting for me in the temple's ante-chamber, the circular array of torches around the pedestal were lit, magnifying his shadow and highlighting the stone wall barring the entrance to the Shadow Temple which still remained closed.

He hadn't felt the need to release the evil sealed inside the temple, though my concern was drawn more to the fact that the Fierce Deity seemed to be holding off completing the possession until I had reached him.

He intended to make me watch it happen. To look at the Hero as he lost all sense of himself and know that it was my fault.

I didn't want it to have to come to this.

The tears were already falling from my eyes as I approached the Hero, no longer caring bout such trivial things as concealing emotion when the burden of my mission was weighing so heavily in my mind. The Fierce Deity noticed this as I stepped towards him and I saw him frown as his eyes roamed over my face, his expression changing to disgust.

"Link..." my voice shook as I rested my hands warily on his chest, frightened of his volatile nature that was the effect of Kishin's possession of his soul. "I'm sorry."

**"Get the hell off me."** the Fierce Deity growled sharply, shoving me backwards and my ankle caught on the base of one of the torches that circled the pedestal, making me stumble back against the rough stone wall.

I barely managed to stay standing. Kishin's power had magnified greatly since he had stolen the spirit temple shard while he had rendered me unconscious.

**"There's no point in trying to reach the Hero, Sheik."** Kishin surveyed me as I righted myself, **"He's scarcely aware of what's happening, let alone has the will to stop me from taking over his body. He can still hear you, though, so feel free to beg for him."** the Fierce Deity smirked in a smug manner.

"You, cruel-." My sentence was detached, anger smothering me. I wanted to curse at him, but could not find the words.

**"Cruel?"** Kishin asked, **"You don't know its true meaning. Cruel. Fell. Brutal. Barbarous. Bloodthirsty. Murderous. Ferocious. Fierce. All are connotations of my nature. I am the Fierce Deity, after all."**

I stalled for a few moments, unsure how to proceed. To reach the Hero's soul, I would need to break Kishin's concentration in order to loosen the Fierce Deity's hold over Link's body.

There was two way that could be conventionally used to break one's concentration. Physical pain and Mental pain. It was likely that neither technique would be effective by itself on Kishin. But it may provide the necessary advantage that I needed to separate the Hero's mind from the Fierce Deity's, even by the slightest margin.

If the technique worked, it could save him.

"Draw your sword." I commanded on impulse, the idea only just occurring to me at that moment, and I unsheathed the short sword that was strapped to my back, gripping the handle tightly and glaring towards the Fierce Deity.

Kishin watched me interestedly, as if trying to determine whether I was serious or not, before raising his left hand and summoning the Double Helix Sword into his hands, taking up his battle stance and I could feel his aura intensify slightly as he prepared to attack.

I then realised that it probably wasn't the best idea to challenge the Fierce Deity to a duel.

Kishin, however, seemed keen and swung the Double Helix Sword in a long, powerful sweep towards me. I jumped out of the way quickly to avoid being cleaved in two.

I took an experimental swipe at him, but the Fierce Deity blocked the move easily. Again, I attempted to attack, this time only succeeding in slicing a thin line in his tunic before he side stepped the move.

I realised that I was swinging my blade too much and this was giving Kishin the extra fraction of a second he needed to block my attacks. As I prepared to strike again, this time I deliberately restricted the movement of the blade and flicked my wrist sharply when the Fierce Deity moved within range.

I heard him hiss a curse and saw the streak of scarlet flow from the slash wound that I had inflicted on his torso. As the wound caused him to flinch ever so slightly, I struck again, this time driving the sword into his side, making sure that I avoided his vital organs and he growled in pain, buckling over and clutching where the blade was still embedded in his flesh.

I didn't anticipate his next move.

Kishin hand moved to clamp over my hold on the blade with a vice-like grip, and the Fierce Deity shoved me violently against the wall, the impact forcing the breath from my lungs, winding me. Kishin held me in place with one hand, looming over me and pulled the blade out of his side roughly, letting it fall to the ground with a metallic clang.

**"Physical pain does not cause me any great trauma. You're only hurting the Hero."**

The efforts that I was taking to avoid inflicting any lasting damage on the Hero's body resulted in the Fierce Deity not feeling any pain. There was no other way to harm him without having to become crueller and wound him more severely.

But I didn't want to hurt him.

Perhaps there was another possibility, though I recognised the amount of audacity that the thought contained. As a general rule, people didn't like seeing their loved ones hurt. I knew that it caused me anguish to see the Hero in pain and wondered if this sentiment was reflected in the Hero.

Would he be able to watch me being hurt, knowing that I was in pain?

I hope he did, because this was going to hurt a lot.

Making my decision, I shifted my weight, moving one of my legs to place my foot flat on the wall behind me, resting my knee on the Fierce Deity's shoulders and repeated this move with my other leg, so that I had a force to place my weight against to take the strike.

Unfortunately, said move had the implications of giving the Fierce Deity a full-view of my crotch, and of course Kishin noticed this.

**"Sheik, if you'd changed your mind about what I said at the Forest temple, you could've just said, you know."** he smirked lewdly, and reinforced his statement by running his tongue slowly up the inside of my thigh.

Oh, shit.

I hadn't realised how dangerous a situation I had placed myself in. It didn't exactly help that Kishin seemed quite turned on by my...proximity to him. This could turn bad really fast.

Although it did prove an effective method of distraction.

Taking hold of the Fierce Deity's inattention, I clamped my hands over his grip on the Double Helix blade, moving his arms back in order to achieve the maximum force possible and forcefully drove the sword towards my body.

I screamed out as the blade penetrated my right shoulder joint and embedded itself in the wall behind me, sharp pain flaring from the wound.

**_"Sheik, what do you think you're doing?!"_** Kishin demanded, his blank eyes widening as he realised what I'd done and he tried to pull the Double Helix Sword free, but I held on resolutely, even though my right hand fell limply from the hilt as a stinging sensation travelled down that arm, numbing it.

Watching Kishin's reaction was interesting, I thought detachedly as I saw him continue his efforts to pull out the sword, trying to stanch the warm crimson liquid flowing from my wound.

It took me a few moments to realise that this was my chance. Taking my other hand off the hilt, I reached into my item pouch and retrieved the sealing scroll, holding it at my side and unravelling it with my fingers.

Tears flowed as I realised that this was the end, and I gently pressed my lips to his, kissing the Hero tenderly and stealing myself for what I had to do.

"Link...I-I love you. So much that I can never forsake you." I spoke and my voice wavered, "I can't let him destroy you. I...d-don't want you to die." I admitted, the words cracking in my throat, "So, please...forgive me." and I pressed the scroll to his forehead, the sealing scroll materialising into the shape of a blue prism as the spell took effect.

And he screamed. It was a terrible, heart-wrenching sound as though it tore form his very soul and he gripped his face in intense pain.

It was unbearable; dry sobs wracked from my body as I witnessed his anguish, but I wouldn't look away, because if this was his end, then I wanted to carve all his suffering, all his trauma and pain into my memory and know that I had caused it.

Suddenly, as though burned, the Hero let go of his face and I saw light emanating from the Fierce Deity's face markings, threads of luminance radiating from them as though the two souls were separating.

A blinding flash of light and a wooden mask clattered to the ground.

Beautiful cerulean blue eyes blinked back at me. Eyes that I though had been forever obscured by the taint of the Fierce Deity.

"Sheik..." Link spoke hoarsely, the sound of his true voice comforting me. He sounded weary, but alive and healthy. I allowed myself a small smile as I ran my thumb over his cheek, content that I hadn't hurt him before surrendering to darkness.

* * *

Shadow Hylian: Yeah, while I was writing the fight/struggle scene between Kishin and Sheik, I realised how compromising Sheik's position was. (it wasn't intentional, I swear!) Couldn't help but write Kishin's reaction after that XD. So, in addition to the angst, this chapter came with a free side order of Foe yay!

The next, and final chapter, should be up soon.

As usual, feedback is very much appreciated, so review please.


	20. Amnesia

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: The Rift has been closed, but the portal's radiation is infecting the Hero, changing him. I was my fault he was hurt and now I know what I must do. What I should have done from the beginning. Turn my heart to steel. Shink.

Shadow Hylian: Well, here's the final chapter. Enjoy!

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Chapter 20: Amnesia

No, Link thought desperately as pure fear overtook his senses. He had just woken from what seemed like a long, drawn out nightmare riddled with pain and torment and had already been plunged into a new one.

Hurriedly, The Hero hastened to pull out the blade from Sheik's shoulder, pulling on the sword with a strength he didn't know he possessed. The Double Helix Sword dematerialised like its master as soon as it was pulled loose, and Link caught the Sheikah before he crumpled to the ground.

Blood still flowed from his wound.

Cradling the Sheikah towards him, Link placed one hand over the joint and pressed down hard, curling his fingers over the other man's shoulder in an effort to stop the bleeding.

The Hero heard Sheik gasp at the pressure, stirring slightly and shifting in Link's embrace, the Sheikah's eyes fluttering open to look at him.

"L-Link..." Sheik's voice was brittle, weak as he breathed close to the Hero's throat, "Why won't my body move?"

"Shh, it's okay. The blood loss is making you a little bit faint, that's all." Link comforted him. With Sheik in his arms, the Sheikah's head resting under his chin, the Hero could feel soft, shallow breathing tickling his throat and thanked the Goddesses that the Fierce Deity's possession of his mind hadn't proved fatal for either of them. They may have been hurt, badly wounded, but they were alive.

Sheik had saved him; Link returned the favour.

Still keeping the Sheikah in a secure grip, the Hero retrieved the Fierce Deity mask with his other hand. The presence of the Fierce Deity still haunted him. The mask's unnervingly similarity to his own features only strengthened that fact. Pale skin, white blonde hair, a blue prism on its forehead and red scar lines beneath vacant, soul-less eyes.

This was the demon he had become.

It was too dangerous an artefact to simply abandon and destroying it may free the Fierce Deity's soul to infect another. But he didn't have time to decide the best method of dealing with the mask; Sheik's well-being came first.

But the Hero didn't know how he'd gotten here. He wasn't even sure of his surroundings as his mind remained resolutely blank.

Trying to stem the panic that was threatening to flood his mind, Link concentrated, wiling himself to remember something, anything about their quest and how they had arrived at this point.

But found nothing.

The price that he'd paid for having the Fierce Deity torn from his mind was the loss of large portions of his memories. The only consolation was that he'd retained his memories of the Sheikah that he loved dearly.

"Link, take these." Sheik passed some Deku nuts into the Hero's hand, shaking Link from his thoughts. "Teleport us back to the castle."

Sheik's words had sparked a remembrance in his mind. Taking the small, hardened seeds between his fingers, the Hero thought of the castle and only the castle as he slammed the Deku nuts to the ground, teleporting away in a flash of white light.

* * *

(Hours Later)

Link waited outside as the Healers treated Sheik, Zelda sitting by his side and the Hero was almost painfully aware of the last time he was in this wing of the castle. The previous time, he had been bed-ridden after suffering the effects of the Time Portal's radiation as the Fierce Deity began to take hold of his mind.

The roles had been reversed now.

A part of the Hero wanted to be by the Sheikah's side, wanted to comfort him, but he found that he could not leave the plain white corridor that he waited silently in. In all honesty, he was afraid of what he would see, afraid that Sheik wouldn't want to see him.

"Go to him." Zelda's words seemed simple, an easy request, but Link didn't move. The Hero heard a sigh escape the Princess' lips and he was surprised when he felt her shake him by the shoulders. "It might be your last chance!" her voice heightened in pleading tones, "If you don't go to his side, you'll regret it all your days..."

"But...I've caused him so much pain." Link couldn't stop the fear that crept into his voice as he spoke, revealing how badly the question was worrying him. "I've...destroyed him."

"No." Zelda spoke sternly, "Even after all that's happened, you saved him."

"But, I was the one who-"

"Link, you were helpless to stop the Fierce Deity from taking over you body. It's not your fault that Kishin tormented him so much. If you still feel guilt, then the least you can do is be there for him." Zelda's persuasion surprised me, "Be there when he wakes up. Maybe then you'll be able to talk to each other..."

The Princess was right. At the very least, Link owed it to Sheik to be by his side as he recovered.

So the Hero made his decision.

As Link stepped into Sheik's hospital room, he saw the Sheikah looking refreshed and healed, sitting up in bed and clutching something close to his chest, his fingers twiddling around the object in a show of nervousness. Sitting on the bedside table was the wooden mask of the Fierce Deity, looking perfectly innocent and unremarkable, it's blank eyes seeming to challenge him.

The Hero's footsteps drew the Sheikah's attention to his presence, and Link saw Sheik look warily towards him, then turning quickly away as though scorned. Link sighed and settled in to the seat beside him.

"I'm sorry," Link barely heard the murmured apology, "About your amnesia. It was the only way I could save you."

"..." Link didn't know what to say. What really could be said after all that had happened?

"I couldn't think clearly." Sheik continued, not meeting the Hero's eyes as he spoke, "All I could think about was keeping you safe."

"I have no awareness of my surroundings, save for where I saw you at every temple." Link's tone was melancholy, not bitter or spiteful in any way, and Sheik turned to meet the Hero's eyes in surprise. "If you hadn't told me to teleport us back to the castle, I wouldn't have gotten here in time to save you. All my memories are of you."

Sheik was silent for a moment, looking away in thought before voicing his hesitant question. "You don't...mind that most of your memories are of me?"

"I wouldn't care if you were my only memory." Link spoke gently, "I love you."

His words were so truthful, so sincere that something Sheik had been trying to conceal shattered within him as he heard the Hero speak.

Link wasn't shunning him.

Gripping the book more tightly against his chest, Sheik knew that he would need to ask this. It was the Hero's entitlement to know what adventures he had completed, what trials he had faced and triumphed over during the seven years of the Evil King's reign. The book of Mudora catalogued it all.

"If you had the chance...would you want to recover your memories?"

"What?" Link didn't understand what the Sheikah was asking him.

"I asked Impa to retrieve the Book of Mudora for this purpose." Sheik released the tome from his vice like grip, "I thought you might want to piece together your memories. The book will tell every detail of your travels and adventures.

However, the Book of Mudora is impartial. It will tell you every horror, every pain and injustice that happened during that time. It has no distinction between good and evil, if there is such a thing. The decision is yours. I felt that I had to at least offer you the option." and he held the book for the Hero to take.

Link considered, reaching forward and taking the book from the Sheikah's hands and letting his fingers trail over the cover, but didn't open it. It was a few moments before the Hero offered the book back to Sheik, deciding that it would be better if that time remained the past.

"You can tell me all the exciting parts, then." Link decided, smiling back at Sheik, who stowed the tome away beneath his pillow.

* * *

It was much later, in the early hours of the next morning that Sheik woke slowly, aware of a warmth encasing his right palm, a weight against his chest and wondered vaguely if the Hero was still sitting with him.

Opening his eyes blearily, Sheik saw the Hero curled up on the chair beside him and leaning on sheik's chest, looking remarkably at ease as he clutched the Sheikah's hand, holding it gently beneath his head as he slept.

Sheik smiled fondly at the other man's sleeping form, his eyes being drawn to the blue sealing prism visible beneath the Hero's blonde bangs, the mark that was now permanently etched into Link's skin as protection against further possession.

Looking at the mark made Sheik's eyes sting; the seal now served as a constant reminder of how the Hero and himself had reached this point and of how much pain and suffering the Fierce Deity had inflicted.

But it was over now. They no longer needed to fear the Fierce Deity's presence, and the prism seal would protect them.

Sheik shifted slightly, pressing a gentle kiss to the Hero's forehead and figured that he wouldn't mind sleeping in if it meant that he could extend this moment a little longer, closing his eyes again and settling into a contented slumber.

All they needed was Courage and Time.

They had found both.

Prophetic Demons

End

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Shadow Hylian: As usual, Feedback on this last chapter would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you to all the people who have been reading and reviewing this fic. Your support and words of encouragement have kept me motivated. I'm already working on some new material, so if you enjoyed this fic keep an eye out for me in the future.

Sincerely,

Shadow Hylian.


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